Link Light Rail
A post-pandemic rebrand for Seattle’s growing Link Light Rail public transit system
Roles
Visual Design
Branding
Research
Tools
Illustrator
Photoshop
InDesign
Timeline: 11 weeks
Team: Solo project
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Link Light Rail is a public transit light rail system in the greater Seattle area. It is funded primarily by Washington State and is supported by voters as well as by the riders who use its services. Link Light Rail currently has one line of train service with plans to expand to 4 lines over the next several years.
Current public perception of Seattle Link Light Rail has been impacted by economic stressors and the pandemic. The light rail has plans to expand its service from one line to four in upcoming years, and could continue to experience growing pains. How can we make the light rail user-friendly and accessible as it continues to grow?
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The new brand uses accessible type, vibrant colors, simple shapes, and an approachable tone to build trust and guide customers from all backgrounds through a pleasant light rail experience. The brand is appropriate for a wide public audience, recognizable across media, and stands out clearly in Seattle’s rainy environment. Brand elements can work in tandem with the look and feel of existing light rail station architecture and the unique character of Seattle’s diverse neighborhoods.
Brand Guide
Brandmark
The Link brandmark is inspired by the core values and abstracted elements of the the light rail system itself. It is simple, iconic, and accessible. Shapes within the logo imitate the shape and forward motion of the light rail train itself while also calling to mind iconography and patterning associated with travel by rail. The logo uses rounded edges to create an approachable, human-centered appeal. This primary brandmark on black is to be used whenever possible, but alternate brandmark variations can be used when needed.
Typography
DINosaur is the brand typeface for both headings and body text. Like Link Light Rail, DINosaur is practical, with down-to-earth efficiency. In fact, DINosaur was inspired by DIN, a German font that was originally developed for use on street signs and traffic instructions. It is narrow enough to fit dense information into signage but has been designed with legibility in mind in both large- and small-scale settings. This allows it to be accessible to a wide audience of readers. DINosaur modifies the DIN font by adding rounded edges and slightly softer curves for a friendlier, more human-centered look and feel but retain’s DIN’s practical, down-to-earth functionality.
Color
Link Light Rail’s brand colors have been chosen to reflect the brand’s reliability and commitment to equity. The bold rainbow of colors used in the brand stands out against the many substrates of light rail facilities and is designed to be visible, distinctive, and inviting in above-ground and underground stations, especially against the frequent backdrop of gray Seattle weather. These bright and cheerful hues lend a friendly, clean, and distinctive quality to the brand’s persona.
Pattern
Inspired by graphic elements of the logo, patterning for Link uses repetition of the chevron, wedge, and stripe shapes. These shapes may be colored in flat brand colors or may be filled with photographs. Colors should be chosen in a simple spectrum of adjacent colors, and overall design should strive for a cohesive but simple look and feel.
Photography
For Link Light Rail, photography is used to highlight features of the trains and stations, to connect viewers to Seattle’s culture and landscape, both of which are closely connected to the brand, and to bring a warm, human face to the brand.Link Light Rail’s photography should be carefully curated for a look and feel that is professional, friendly, clear, and inclusive. All photography should be lit well with the subject in focus. Photos of humans interacting with each other, using rail services, or looking into the camera to establish a connection with the viewer are used. These photos may be posed and can use a non-distracting background or can be cut out and placed over a colored shape. Photos of humans should remain simple, genuine, and friendly and should reflect the great diversity of ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, and abilities of riders and employees. Photos of environments should highlight Link facilities or picturesque neighborhoods serviced by Link to foster a sense of local pride and connection to place.
Touchpoints
System Map
Zoomed in to show detail.
Link currently includes one rail line with a second line set to open in Autumn of 2024. Additional plans exist for eventually building two more lines. This system map incorporates existing and planned rail lines in a clear and functional way. Although the current Link system uses stop icons, user testing research shows that numerical systems are more recognizable and clear for multicultural audiences, so a numerical system of lines and stations has been implemented here. Each of the four lines has been assigned a number and a color, shown in solid colored circles. Each station has also been assigned a number, shown in black. A station can have one or more stops, depending on which lines serve that location, so each stop has its own 3 digit code. For example, Capitol Hill station’s code on the green Line 1 would be 154, and so on. In this system, a rider can use math to calculate the number of stops between stations. This map can be adapted for wayfinding, as in the example shown, where the darkened oval orients the rider to the station where they have just arrived. On a digital platform, the rider could set a preferred stop near their home or workplace or track their progress along a route.
Train Livery
Link trains are wrapped in the diagonal brand pattern with brand colors that correspond to their lines. Train colors provide wayfinding assistance for riders as they get on the trains, especially in transfer stations where multiple lines will intersect. Diagonal lines emphasize forward motion no matter which direction the trains are running. The bright cheerful colors stand out for high visibility, even in rainy or gray weather or in an underground station.
As the entry point to the light rail experience, Link stations have special importance as a customer touchstone. Stations have a variety of architectural types, and some are very obvious from a distance while others blend into the surroundings, so it is important that entryway signage be eye-catching and clear. Regardless of building archetecture, nearly all station entryways have a rectangular metal arch over the entrance, so this is the perfect device to carry the brand. Entryway signage should be made within a black frame, with brandmark, type, and symbols lit from within using LED lights. LED lights can be powered by solar cels on the roof when possible and should use minimal electricity when solar energy is not available. Lighting will remain lit at all times when the light rail is running (day and night) to create a welcome atmosphere and identifiable station entrance.
Station Entrances
Advertising
Advertising for Link Light Rail will be placed in strategically chosen locations to catch the attention of potential customers who are new to Seattle or who may be near a light rail station without another mode of transportation. One excellent example is at SeaTac Airport near the arrivals gates. In this example, advertising is simple, bold, and approachable, using a wholesome and friendly voice and using the brand’s directional graphic elements to point customers towards the light rail station.
Website Home Page
Link Light Rail’s brand is adaptable for digital platforms and should drive the design of the organization’s webpage, which is responsive from mobile to desktop. Content strategy for the page is guided by customers’ ideas in mind as led by survey questions and other UX research.
Process
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![a collage of images and text related to Link Light Rail's history and current position in public opinion]()
1. Research
I began the rebrand process with a deep dive into the background and current expressions o Link Light Rail’s brand. This included exploring the history of light rail service in Seattle, understanding how Link fits into the big picture of Seattle’s public transit offerings, compiling recent articles to paint a picture of how the light rail service is currently perceived, doing a competitor analysis, and visiting light rail stations to document their current look and feel and observe customers as they interact with the service.
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![whiteboards with sticky notes and photos taped up and lists of words scribbled on them]()
2. Whiteboarding
After gathering background research, I worked with a small team to define the brand’s character, positioning, and promise. We used a variety of brainstorming and discussion techniques. Collaborators for this phase included Andrew Gomez IV, Jon Pendleton, Kai Schafer, and Ed Leonard.
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![The faces of three people with text below each. Categories are "Casual," "Necessity," and "Novelty."]()
3. Rider Archetypes
The research and discovery phases informed my undersrtanding of Link Light Rail’s ridership. Riders fall primarily into three archetypes: the casual or occasional rider, the rider who depends on the light rail as a necessiy, and the novelty rider who is unfamiliar with the city and the light rail service. Each has different priorities, but their needs and use cases drove the direction of the rebrand process.
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![three mood boards representing the concept welcoming, efficient, and egalitarian]()
4. Tonal Territories
Based on the guiding concepts from the discovery session, I worked with the small team to identify and describe thee “tonal territories” or guiding values that speak to riders’ needs and are core to the new brand for Link. The three concepts identified are welcoming, efficient, and egalitarian. Each of these concepts contributes to the final design choices going forward.
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![A mood board containing vibrant geometrical shapes, smiling humans, and urban environments with rainbow-colored installations]()
5. Concept Board
I developed the concept “Now arriving, together!” as the basis for the brand’s new direction. This concept encompasses a welcoming spirit of togetheness, the efficiency of making progress toward a goal, and an egalitarian sprit where all riders and community members stand together equally. It also captures the momentum and forward movement of the trains themselves.
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![collage of logo brainstorm sketches and color tests for the Link Light Rail logo]()
6. Logo Development
To create the new Link Light Rail brandmark, I explored many options through hand-drawn and digital sketching. Once the final logo was chosen, I made refinements and experimented with potential colors, ultimately selecting colors that would convey the spirit of the new brand and provide strong contrast for legibility.
