Project: RIDE —

Detroit’s Unified
Transit Identity

RIDE:

What is RIDE?A unified brand system connecting DDOT, SMART, and MiTrain under one clear, human-centered identity.

Full Case Study

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

MARK EXPLANATION

“RIDE” functions as both an acronym and everyday verb — inclusive, memorable, and universal.

From bus wraps to station signage, RIDE applies a modular system that scales across vehicles, maps, and print.

Directional arrows, pictograms, and universal icons guide passengers quickly and intuitively.

You can see similar best practices in Transport for London’s Design Standards — an influence in RIDE’s civic tone.

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.

SYSTEM & COLOR ARCHITECTURE

The identity uses a smile-shaped logomark to symbolize optimism and motion. Color differentiation distinguishes each service line — lime green for DDOT, magenta for SMART, blue for MiTrain — unified by a shared yellow core (Pantone 115 U). The ASAP typeface was selected for readability at distance and speed, ensuring legibility in all conditions.

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.

RESULTS & IMPACT

Impact on City Experience

Projected KPIs with “(prototype testing)”

+22% Improved wayfinding comprehension (based on prototype tests)

Faster route recognition across color system

Designing a Brand for Movement

This project taught me that civic design is storytelling in motion. Every sign, every line, every curve becomes part of a daily rhythm — proof that clarity is a form of empathy. My role spanned research, naming, visual system development, and rollout templates for vehicle livery and digital assets.

Process Research

Detroit Transit Research
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