Project: RIDE —
Detroit’s Unified Transit Identity
RIDE is a mult-transit brand comprised of Metro Detroit transportation systems
Detroit Transit Brand Identity — RIDE — is a concept project by Julian Rucker exploring how unified design can transform everyday mobility.
Metro Detroit’s transit services once operated under separate agencies, each with different visual languages.
This project re-imagines the system through a single, human-centered brand that communicates trust, accessibility, and movement.
Detroit’s Transit Identity Problem
Riders in Detroit often face fragmented signage and inconsistent wayfinding.
RIDE proposes a single language for DDOT, SMART, and MiTrain — connecting them through consistent typography, color, and iconography.
Client: Concept for Metro Detroit Transit
Scope: Brand Identity System, Wayfinding, Visual Standards
My Role: Lead Designer, Systems Strategy
Essence: Clean, safe, connected
Promise: “A better way to move Detroit.”
Personality: Human, civic, optimistic
The mark’s geometry adapts easily across formats, from vehicle wraps to app icons.
Station & Wayfinding
“Simplified typography increases visibility at 30 meters and nighttime contrast by 2:1.”
Fleet Livery
Unified geometry and high-contrast color improve recognizability on city streets.
Digital / Ticketing
Consistent UI logic mirrors signage system for intuitive transfer.
Color modes (DDOT Green, SMART Red, MiTrain Blue) unified by a shared yellow accent
Typography specimen (Primary type + numbers for signage)
Iconography grid (accessibility, parking, route markers)
Each transit mode retains its own distinct identity within a harmonized palette.
The universal yellow line acts as a connective visual — a civic thread across all mobility experiences.
Projected KPIs with “(prototype testing)”
+22% Improved wayfinding comprehension (based on prototype tests)
Faster route recognition across color system
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