Metro Fun Bus Concepts by VisuaLingual

Over a year and a half ago, we were asked by SORTA to develop a couple of visual concepts for a revamped Route 1 bus, the route that serves many of Cincinnati’s cultural attractions, including the Zoo, Union Terminal, Music Hall, and the stadiums downtown. Working very quickly and with few guidelines, we developed two concepts that were included as part of an application for federal funding.

I’d forgotten all about that project, until I recently came across the article All Aboard Metro’s Fun Bus, which explains that the tourist-friendly, tweaked route, complete with snazzy bus wrap, is debuting this Sunday.

Anyway, we quickly came up with two distinct, visually appealing concepts. Above is mine, based on the flora and fauna in Cincinnati parks. Below is Michael’s, a montage of the landmarks found on the bus route. I’d like to think that, at some point during the presentations, Ray LaHood tapped Obama on the shoulder and exclaimed, “Have you seen what the peeps in Cincinnati are up to these days? These design concepts are hawt!”

The final design is a synthesis of our two basic ideas, but it streamlines the visual presentation and incorporates all the requisite branding. I don’t know if this was done in-house or not; we had nothing to do with it. Still, it’s nice to think that our initial concepts played some role, however minor, in securing the funding for this initiative.

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