The Write Journey is a practical, relational writing community that empowers and equips homeschooling parents and children.
Using relational teaching methods, The Write Journey partners with parents and educators to provide quality language arts instruction, focusing on writing.
Our vision is to train and empower young people to become authentic communicators that impact the world through writing, reading, and critical thinking.
Those have been our guiding principles at The Write Journey for over 20 years. What started as a grassroots effort by one mother to be more involved in her children’s education has grown into a community of teachers and parents supporting one another – and children.
Homeschool parents face many challenges: a busy family, endless distractions, and a fire hose of “new ideas.” Parents have the desire to play an active role in their children’s learning, but it can be overwhelming and confusing, especially when it comes to teaching writing.
We get it. We’ve been there ourselves. That’s why we have developed an innovative, back-to-basics approach to a home-based writing program. Our vision is to empower parents with resources, guidance, and support to help their children reach their fullest potential as writers, readers, and critical thinkers. Our team of expert teachers practices relational teaching methods to create a safe, supportive place for children to express their views, be inclusive, and think analytically.
While other programs may provide children with a solid foundation in writing OR reading, our program is the only one to offer a combination of reading, writing, and thinking. Further, our simple 80/20 model makes it easy on parents, too: cut out the 80% of material that is distracting or unhelpful and focus on the 20% that is tried-and-true. Our method is simple: one book per term, a deep dive into the text, and writing projects geared toward autonomy of thought. Our highly affordable program is practical, clear, and convenient, guaranteed to empower and equip parents to lead their children through the writing journey with ease and grace.
We know from firsthand experience how daunting homeschooling – and teaching writing, in particular - can be. Let’s take The Write Journey together and empower the next generation to change the world with words.
We care about the members of our community. So who are they? Let's meet The Write Journey families.
Age: 25 - 40
Gender: Female
Children: Approximately three
Income: Lower-middle class to middle class (~80k a year)
Location: Nationwide in "homeschool-friendly states"
Area Type: Primarily in suburban areas with a secondary area of rural
Religious Views: Christian
Political Views: Conservative
Profession: Stay-at-home parent
Hobbies: Hiking, sporting activities, vacationing, family time, reading, cooking, self-care, social media
Aesthetic: Cozy, clean, muted colors in warm environments that are modern farmhouse chic and feature natural textures and tones
Demi recently decided to begin homeschooling her three young children because she learned about some content in the public-school curriculum that she disagreed with. When she and her husband decided, she felt great relief at knowing and controlling exactly the education her children would be getting. But then the reality of homeschooling kicked in, and she found herself overwhelmed by the available online resources, exhausted by the amount of time and energy required from her, and concerned about her children’s socialization. She learns from a friend who also homeschools that there are myriad ways to minimize her demands, including signing her children up for classes at local co-ops and clubs. Money’s a little tight, but she also learns that charter school funds are available to her family as a way to pay for these classes. Classes are the perfect outlet for her children to make friends and for her to reclaim her personal time. This system seems perfect, at least for a couple of years. She’s recently beginning to wonder about the academics in these classes her children are taking. She wants her children to be smart and had assumed that would happen organically as they observed the world around them. Now she wonders if there’s a simple way to up the academic rigor of her children’s learning but needs a solution that doesn’t put great demands on her time and resources.
Show Demi that for a small investment, both of resources and time, she can make a big difference in her children’s education. The 80/20 model is a key selling point because she does not have any interest in going above and beyond and wants to see results without too much effort.
Brittany originally chose to homeschool her children because she questioned the subject matter and instruction her children were receiving in public school but found the cost of private school to be prohibitive. At first, she must admit, she was not prepared for the realities of homeschooling and sought ways to “outsource” her children’s education and reclaim some of her personal time and autonomy. She sought out funds from the local charter school to pay for classes her children were taking. After a few years, she began to have concerns about the programs her children were participating in. She knew they were making friends and getting excellent socialization but noticed that the academic rigor just wasn’t there. She began to worry about their future. She felt her motivations shift from getting time to herself to engaging more in what her children were learning. She was nervous at first, but as she started doing more teaching and less outsourcing, she’s getting excited about helping her children learn and grow. However, as she teaches writing, she feels a great tension begin to develop between her and her children and realizes that writing is subjective and personal. She needs a set of tools to help her learn concrete writing methods and assessment techniques that she can use to assist her children in becoming competent writers. Her values have not changed: time and money are still short, she still needs easy, practical solutions, but she’s ready to invest in her children’s future.
Brittany is eager but practical. She already has a desire to find a perfect fit solution for her children’s education, and she’ll find it here. She needs clear and effective guidance for herself as her children’s primary teacher, she wants to see her children learning quickly and growing continually. She must feel supported by a community to continue wanting to invest in The Write Journey resources and herself as a homeschool mom.
Susan has a passion for effective learning and is eager to improve the quality of her home-based teaching. She has a vision of seeing her children thrive in her classroom. When she first began to homeschool, she dove into the resources available online, in her community, and with homeschool programs. While she’s been happy with her and her children’s progress so far, she knows that she could do more to have a tailored, focused curriculum in her home. What she’s missing is the confidence that comes with the help and guidance of an experienced mentor, coupled with parents and teachers who share her vision. She believes that a program created with her in mind will teach her the effective steps and strategies to help her children write and communicate well. Yes, she’s hesitant about the time commitment that might be involved, but she knows that certification will give her greater independence in the long run – the very reason she began this journey in the first place. Empowered with a new set of skills, she believes she may even find new opportunities for income as she becomes an expert in her community.
Susan is hungry and ready for more. She needs next-level resources that she can apply to her children’s education right away. Her time and energy are still short, but she’s willing to make the sacrifice because she’s seen the payoff already. She’s ripe and ready to be an “evangelist” for The Write Journey methods. Give her things that she can understand, apply, and get excited about, and she’ll become a huge asset to the home school community.
The inspiration for The Write Journey comes from inside the home, where the family gathers in spaces that are comfortable, clean, functional, and warm. Using textures and muted colors alongside uncluttered whitespace, our style is the crossroads of contemporary and traditional. Families come together surrounded by beautiful books and writing tools to bring to life The Write Journey's goal of building a practical, relational writing community that empowers and equips homeschooling parents and children.
Five Words to Describe Us.
Practical, relational, clear, empowering, & balanced
How we write about and speak to our audience matters. At The Write Journey, we are practical, clear, and concise above all else.
Let’s cut through the noise that busy parents experience every day and talk to them in straightforward terms.
We are friendly in our approach to crafting an inclusive community, but we maintain a professional cadence to instill their trust: no witty banter, no clever quips, no overly complicated speech.
We’ll avoid jargon and verboseness to make them feel comfortable and build their confidence in our high-quality products and services.
The logo is an integral part of The Write Journey brand and should be used thoughtfully and consistently.
Most often, the logo will be presented in full color.
The logo can be used in an all-black variation. It can also be used in an all-white variation atop a color.
When used atop an image, this version combines the all-white variation with the full color version to maintain readability.
The icon can be used alone, but must be used in full color (not all-black or white) when doing so.
Clear space around the logo is necessary to maintain legibility and prominence. The minimum clear space is the height of the "W" in the logo and works to isolate the logo from any competing graphic elements that conflict, overcrowd, or lessen the impact.
1.5 inches
The smallest it should ever be represented is 1.5 inches wide.
A. Don't rotate.
B. Don't squash or stretch.
C. Don't rearrange or resize parts to create new compositions.
D. Don't use the icon next to the primary logo in the same design.
E. Don't recolor using off-brand colors.
F. Don't use text styles such as drop shadows or strokes.
G. Don't contain it in a box when using it on a background that prohibits clear readability.
H. Don't use the text from the logo without the icon.
We offer classes for every age, grade, and learning level.
These icons are for designating the learning level of materials. The color assigned to each icon is important in building visual recognition and should never be altered. The unacceptable uses of the primary logo apply to these icons as well. Avoid using the graphic without the circle graphics and text, unless it is in a pattern or accent capacity. When possible, use these icons in medium to small sizes.
We make our clients feel challenged but safe, so our brand should put them at ease and make them feel empowered.
Kris Cordell, Owner & Founder
Use these typographic choices to create consistency, dependability and most importantly, give the words we use to speak to our audience the right voice. Our set of established typefaces represent the clean, homey feel of the brand and should be used across all print and web applications.
headers
subheaders
body copy
Use care and consistency when using typefaces and colors to help organize the content and communicate with purpose.
captions
Use for headers.
Sentence case.
Best used in a large size, but never smaller than 36 pt.
Use for subheaders. Sentence case.
18 pt size is recommended.
Use for body copy.
Sentence case.
12 pt size is recommended.
Use for captions and notes.
Sentence case, unless it is one word or an incomplete sentence, then lowercase. Typeset in grey and 12 pt size.
When possible, upload and use the "print" fonts. If that proves technically impossible, use the following fonts.
Palatino Bold
Use for headers. Sentence case.
Best used in a large size, but never smaller than 36 pt.
Tahoma Regular & Bold
Use for subheaders or body copy. Sentence case.
12 - 18 pt size is recommended.
Chaparral Pro Italic
Use for captions and notes. Sentence case, unless it is one word or an incomplete sentence then lowercase. Typeset in grey color and 12 pt size.
A Word about Glyphs
Majesti Banner features alternative uppercase letterforms and lowercase swashes. When used with discretion, these can greatly enhance a header. Avoid overuse and ensure a variety of ascenders and descenders.
typeset without alternate letterforms added typeset with too many alternate letterforms added
alternate letterforms added strategically and beautifully
Use these swatches to communicate the brand to our audience.
The teal colors combine the properties of blue – calm, trustworthy, dependable – with the qualities of green – growth, balance, freshness. These colors represents open communication and clarity of thought. Egyptians used teal as the color of truth, while the Tibetan monks believed it symbolized the infinite possibilities of the sea and sky.
Orange tones bring a feelings of enthusiasm, creativity, and balance, moods often felt in the hopeful and happy season of summer. But it’s a particularly powerful color for our uses in that it also represents becoming empowered, taking risks, and finding confidence.
Similarly, yellow is the color of friendship and camaraderie and is the third color in the scheme, meant to instill a sense of community.
Blue Highways
CMYK: 51, 0, 24, 0
RGB: 120, 203, 202
Hex: #78cbca
Green Gables
CMYK: 78, 33, 48, 9
RGB: 58, 128, 127
Hex: #3a807f
Dorian Grey
CMYK: 85, 56, 62, 48
RGB: 29, 64, 64
Hex: #1d4040
Clockwork Orange
CMYK: 0, 50, 84, 0
RGB: 250, 149, 62
Hex: #fa953e
White
CMYK: 3, 3, 4, 0
RGB: 245, 242, 239
Hex: #f5f2ef
Grey
CMYK: 52, 42, 42, 6
RGB: 128, 130, 132
Hex: #808284
Black
CMYK: 72, 67, 66, 80
RGB: 24, 2, 22
Hex: #181616
Peach Keeper
CMYK: 1, 59, 56, 0
RGB: 243, 133, 108
Hex: #f3856c
Golden Compass
CMYK: 1, 21, 69, 0
RGB: 250, 202, 105
Hex: #faca69
Our image selections remind our families that we are the company to make their homeschooling dreams a reality.
Photography should be professionally sourced and high quality but should avoid being overly posed, lit with false lighting sources, or too stock and sterile.
Subjects are happy and diverse families, primarily moms between 25 and 40, interacting with and teaching their children, ages four to 17, in warm, homey spaces.
The spaces are bright and clean, resembling living rooms, kitchens, home offices, and bedrooms. Avoid showing clutter unless it is curated, creative, and colorful.
Images featuring natural lighting and shallow depth of fields (blurry backgrounds) should be prioritized. Reach for images that feature colors from the brand's established color palette. Gentle references to travel or adventure are welcome, but shouldn't be overt or forced.
Use a mixture of close and wide compositions, inanimate objects and human interaction, and smooth and rough textures to show variety and increase visual interest.
The goal is to create recognizable but elevated scenarios that our families can identify with and also desire.
Examples of images that showcase The Write Journey brand. Images can be used in full color or with a block of color from the color palette laid over the top and the opacity dropped to 70 or 80%.
Our graphic style will continue to evolve and grow as this style guide becomes implemented across the business. At this writing, graphics will be of the “flat design” style with simple, two-dimensional elements and colors pulled from the color palette. We will avoid overly "childish" styles and instead, create simple graphics (using the “vector” style created in Adobe Illustrator or found online and modified) that are smooth and clear and not overly complex or dimensional.
When a line is needed to add organization and direction, its weight will be 2 pt and dotted.
Thin, double lines in yellow and teal can be used to ground and finish pages of content. These lines also reinforce the brand by paying homage to the logo.
Academic writing
Active Language
Adult certification program
Affirm
Age appropriate
Annotate
Assess/evaluate
Assignments
Basic writing levels
Challenge
Character development
Choices
Choose
Classic Literature
Communication skills
Community Comprehensive
Connect
Content of instruction
Cooperative Critical thinking
Detailed Training
Diligence
Diligent
Discuss
Edit
Educate/educators
Effort
Empower
Encourage Enrichment projects & classes
Equip Families
Family-focused
Flexibility
Handbook
Handbooks (or Instructional guides)
Homeschool
Ideas
Improve Include Instructional Materials
Integrity
Lead
Learning Level Icons
- Primary
- Elementary
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- College prep
- Adult certification
Listen
Literacy
Literature-based writing
Manageable steps
Mentor
Modified learning
One-on-one
Parents’ Guide
Participate
Partner
Personalized Feedback
Practical
Proven methods
Quality
Reading
Relational Instruction
Rigorous
Safe place
Simplify
Small class-size
Staff
Strength
Student Workbook
Students
Stylistic techniques
Support
Trained Educators*
Tutoring
Writer’s toolbox
Writing
Writing process
Writing steps and strategies
A. When using the business name in conjunction with other nouns, such as "Student Handbook," use only one "the."
Correct: "Refer to The Write Journey Student Handbook."
Incorrect: "Refer to the The Write Journey Student Handbook."
B. "The Write Journey" can be abbreviated as "TWJ." When using the abbreviation in conjunction with other nouns such as "Student Handbook," use the word "the."
Correct: "Refer to the TWJ Student Handbook."
Incorrect: "Refer to TWJ Student Handbook."
C. Use serial/oxford commas in lists.
D. Use the ampersand instead of "and" in headers.
Words We Minimize Using
Grades
- A, B, C - First, Second, Third State standards
Curriculum*
Teachers*
Writing with Kris
Words We Don't Use
Clients
Customers
* indicates alternative word
E. Spell out a word with the acronym in parenthesis the first time, then use the acronym in subsequent usages.
F. Use numerals for double-digit numbers or larger. For measurements, use numerals. Use commas in four-digit numbers or larger.
G. Whenever possible, avoid slashes and use ‘or’ instead.
H. Use English terms over Latin terms. ‘For example’ should be used instead of ‘i.e.’ or ‘e.g.’ Use ‘through’ or ‘using’ instead of ‘via’.
I. Use a single space at the end of a period, not a double-space.
Refer to the Associated Press (AP) Style Guide for other formatting guidelines.
These guidelines are meant to provide consistency and structure when representing the brand in any application. However, flexibility is necessary and creative freedom is expected. Please contact the designer of this brand and guide, Emily Kunz, at emily@emilykunz.com if any questions or concerns arise.
