LESSON 5.2c
REBRANDING THE TTC
INDEPENDENT STUDY UNIT
Diagram 5.2C:
The Toronto Transit Commission
Key concepts:
logos, wordmarks, typography, branding, taglines.
Re-Branding a Transit Giant
For this activity, you will create an updated brand for the TTC. Your job is to update the TTC's look and feel to reflect this change. You will be required to demonstrate how this updated brand will be integrated into the TTC's properties and marketing. You may decide to change colours, fonts, signage, vehicles and/or ads.
Mark Breakdown:
Part 1: Research: Photoshop collage, JPG uploaded to your website. 10 marks
Part 2: Plan and execute. Written work + JPGs of your redesigned elements. 35 marks
This example of a brandboard (also known as a moodboard) was created for the London Underground. It includes elements like the main logo, variations of the logo graphic used in various applications, map graphics and colours, print elements and typography samples. It also includes a demonstration of how the brand is applied to a vehicle, and commonly used wayfinding language including ‘Mind the Gap’ and ‘Way Out’. Your TTC brandboard should include similar elements.
Learn more about the history of the London Undergorund's brand
Part 1: Research/Collect Information
Create a new blog entry on your WIX website. Title it 'TTC Re-Brand'.
Using the London Underground brand board as a guide, make a Photoshop collage/brand board that includes 15 or more different elements of the TTC's current brand. This means the actual TTC logo, actual current TTC signs and stations and buses. This activity is meant to give you a holistic view of what the TTC brand is, and what makes the TTC the TTC.
This can be icons, logos, ads, vehicles, etc. Save your PSD locally (you will need to submit it to Brightspace), and your JPG on your website. Here is a list of potential elements to be included in your collage.
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primary colour palette
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font/typography samples and information
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station/wayfinding signage (e.g. exit, washrooms, etc)
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vehicle branding
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recognizable furniture (e.g turnstiles)
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route map design
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bus stop info design
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bus shelter design
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map design
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uniform branding samples
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print collateral samples (business cards, promotional material, magazine ads, etc)
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website
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historical references/photos
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location photos
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station design
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ticket kiosk design
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station signs (Kipling station, Dundas West etc)
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other elements (turnstiles, elevators, escalators, rails, emergency buttons etc)
Part 2: Brainstorm Ideas / Develop a Solution
There are 4 mandatory elements and a number of additional elements you will select between:
Mandatory
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Add the business name 'Toronto Transit Commission' to the provided TTC logo
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Create a business card and stationery (letterhead, envelope, etc) featuring the new logo design
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Select typefaces to be used by the TTC (in non-logo areas: signs, ads, etc)
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Redesign 2 station signs using your selected brand elements (i.e. Kipling Station)
Optional (choose 3 or more of these)
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vehicle (bus, streetcar or subway train)
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uniform
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ticket booth
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street signage
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bus kiosk
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route map design
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bus stop design
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bus shelter design
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subway map design
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token/ticket design
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station wayfinding signs samples
Download the new logo AI file
Download the completed .AI file to the right. You will use this as the basis for your brand.
Adding type to the TTC logo
Add text (Toronto Transit Commission) to the logo. Draw on your understanding of typography, specifically your understanding of type personality and hierarchy (completion task 3.1), your practice working with logos and ligatures (completion task 3.3.1) and your practice making logos in Illustrator (completion task 2.4)
Produce a horizontal and a stacked version of the logo
Horizontal layout
Stacked layout
Adding your logo to letterhead : For this part of the activity you should draw on your understanding of Photoshop and editing photos. This includes removing elements you don't want to keep and adding and blending elements that did not previously exist in the image. Draw specifically on your practice with the Book Cover activity (completion task 4.6)
Selecting a typeface : For this part of the activity, you should draw on your understanding of typography and the personality and legibility of various typefaces Working with type (lessons 3.1 & 3.2)
Download this guide to help you think about how to display your font selection and how you think it should be applied.
Note yours does not have to look like this. This is simply a guide. Many more can be found online
Redesigning a station sign : For this part of the activity, you should draw on your general understanding of Photoshop and image manipulation
Some notes about this assignment. Your mark will be based on how well you are able to develop a creative solution. You should use the ‘Design Process’ to work through iterations (or versions) of your ideas. Creating a single redesigned version of the TTC logo and handing that in does not demonstrate thinking or planning. Remember that the last 4 steps of the design process are brainstorming ideas, developing those ideas, seeking feedback and improving your ideas based on the feedback. Look at this example of a fully explored logo re-design.
Digital Resources
The following are elements that might be useful for your own development of assets. You do not have to use these, and are encouraged to search out your own images to edit and customize. These are only a starting point.
Use Google to find a truckload of different stationary design templates. Remove the existing graphics, colours and branding and add your own brand.
Here are a couple of signs you can use as your starting point. Feel free to search online for TTC signs, TTC brand, station signs, or another combination of search terms to find your own images. Also, try using. Google's image search. Or, go take a photo.
Drive folder access
These TTC vehicles include current branding and colours. Remove them in Photoshop and add your own design elements based on your redesigned brand identity.
This is an example of an officer’s uniform. You might customize it with the new colours from your brand redesign, or completely change the uniform to something more informal.
A summer uniform, maybe?
The following are a list of reliable sources of information about the TTC.
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https://www.blogto.com/city/2013/10/ttc_unveils_new_system_map_and_wayfinding_signage/
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https://ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Operating_Statistics/2016/section_one.jsp
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https://www.blogto.com/city/2011/09/90_years_of_the_ttc_in_photos_and_videos/
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an example of a fully realized wayfinding and branding redesign for the TTC
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TTC signage system: A case study
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244 pages of rules! The TTC Wayfinding Standards Manual.
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The story of the 'Toronto Subway' font
How to submit your work
The following is designed to clarify how to submit your ISU for assessment.
BrightSpace Portfolio
I will not download all files from every student, but everything should be available for me to view in case I want to see how you made something.
All source (.psd and .ai) files should be submitted to your Brightspace portfolio.
To properly identify your work as part of your ISU, please name submitted files with ISU as a prefix. i.e. ISU_new_ttc_logo.ai and/or ISU_Islington_station_sign.psd
WIX blog
You should create a WIX blog entry that shows all the elements you have created. You should have headers/title above each section to clearly identify what is being viewed. You should include a write-up for the sections that you think can be supported with an explanation. A good example of this might be including an explanation of your typography selection, explaining the reasons for your choices. You may want to explain the general idea behind your work. You may want to include images of your iterations and write about how you used the Design Process to arrive at your best solution.
This assignment is meant to assess how much you have understood. The more information I have, the more I understand what you have created and why.
BrightSpace Assignment
Submit a link to your WIX blog entry. It should look something like this:
www.yourname.wixsite.com/10commtech/ISU