The McKerrow History brand
A Modern Oxbridge identity — the gravitas of a university press, the clarity and motion of a modern product. Prestigious, precise, and quietly cutting-edge.
We make the truth of history exciting — and exam success inevitable.
McKerrow History exists for parents and pupils who refuse to settle for bland teaching and sterile textbooks. Dr John McKerrow is a PhD historian and a working Edexcel examiner — so the brand must feel as rigorous as it is inspiring. Every design decision serves one end: earned trust.
Truth over decoration
Every claim earns its place. The design clears the way for substance — it never shouts over it.
Quiet prestige
Confidence needs no exclamation marks. Generous space, restrained gold, considered type.
Scholarly, not stuffy
The gravitas of a university press with the clarity and motion of a modern product.
Earned trust
Credentials, testimonials and guarantees are shown with calm precision — the proof, not the pitch.
The crest
A scholarly seal: a serif M beneath a four-point star — the north star of historical truth — framed by a gold keyline. It reads as a university crest, a wax seal, a mark of authority.
Clear space & minimum size
Always leave breathing room equal to the height of the star on all sides. Never render the crest below 28px — legibility of the monogram comes first.
Misuse
The crest is a fixed asset. Do not distort, rotate, recolour or place it on low-contrast fields.
A palette with manners
Roughly 60 / 30 / 10: warm parchment carries the page, Oxford navy commands structure and headlines, and gold appears only where distinction is earned. Tap any swatch to copy its hex.
Oxford Navy
The voice of the brand. Authority, scholarship, trust. Used for primary surfaces, headlines and the crest.
Warm Gold
The mark of distinction. Reserved for accents, rules, and moments of prestige — never large fills. A little gold goes a long way.
Parchment & Ink
The reading surface. Warm creams replace cold white; ink greys carry long-form text with comfort and gravitas.
Aa
Fraunces
A modern old-style serif with optical sizing and a literary soul. Carries headlines, pull-quotes and the wordmark. Use Medium for display; Italic for emphasis and citation.
Aa
Inter
A neutral, highly legible grotesque for long-form reading, UI and data. Quietly gets out of the way so the history can speak.
Building blocks
Elite Membership
£199 / year
- Every audio & video course
- New courses during your term
- Schemes of work & exemplar answers
- Weekly live “ask me anything”
“Dr McKerrow not only helped me achieve top grades but developed a genuine fascination in me for the subject.”
Direct. Truthful. Unafraid of a strong opinion, backed by evidence.
The brand speaks as John does in the classroom — plainly, with conviction and a dry wit. It respects the reader and never resorts to the breathless hype of a hard sell.
Archival, not stocky
Favour authentic historical material — documents, maps, period photography — and warm, candid portraits of teaching. Apply a unified treatment so disparate sources feel of one library.
Composed, never busy
Reveal, gently
Content rises 16–20px and fades in once, on scroll. Calm entrances signal confidence.
y 18 · opacity 0→1 · once
One easing
A single soft ease-out gives the whole site a coherent, expensive feel.
cubic-bezier(.22,1,.36,1)
Honest timing
200ms for interface, 600ms for entrances. Respect reduced-motion preferences.
200ms UI · 600ms reveal