TBD* BART Installation
I had the opportunity to collaborate with Walker Lambert and TBD* on a project for BART.
Our project goal was to create a construction barricade installation that: Represents SF and its unique qualities in a metaphorical way, creates a sense of orientation after being in a state of disorientation due to the pandemic, and welcomes everyone back to the new San Francisco.
Click here to read the official article!
RESEARCH & INITIAL IDEAS
At the beginning of the design process, we did more research to find what BART means to locals and visitors of the Bay Area. We looked through yelp reviews because the pandemic prevented us from approaching riders and compiled a summarized list of points people made about their experience with BART.
We started out with these sketches that are iconic representations of San Francisco: the Golden Gate Bridge, the Transamerica building, seals, and Victorian houses. Then we thought about how the everyday ride would see this imagery and get bored by the stereotypical image of SF. So we asked ourselves the question, how can we represent SF in a way that is less obvious? How can we transport the viewer to a new dimension they can’t get to with BART?
5 GOALS
From the research, context, and initial sketches we were able to create 5 goals to define the purpose of our designs. We decided that the installation should transport and engage viewers to look deeper, surprise and delight them by acting as a small gift to riders or passersby, work on a micro and macro scale, be flexible and open to working in all stations, and be colorful and powerful to provide color to a space where it’s mostly gray.
CONCEPT 1:
Have a ___ Day
The concept for this design started with the simple message “Have a Great Day.” We hid other words in the design in place of the word great, hence this design’s name “Have a ___ Day”.
Inspired by the retro aspect of San Francisco’s psychedelic concert posters of the 60s and 70s, we used bright colors and expressed type then contemporized it with a 3d effect and a modern color palette. We also added multiple languages to represent the diversity of San Francisco.
We wanted to find a way to further the delightful feeling a person takes away after looking at the “Have a __ Day” installation, so we created an animation. The animation is opened through a QR code, which is connected to the video posted on youtube shorts. This animation will allow people to endure the sense of delight they feel even after they view the installation.
CONCEPT 2:
No Eye in Team
The second direction is called “There’s No Eye in Team.” This design explores delivering a message of inclusivity and diversity in a whimsical way. The concept of this direction is that everyone is a part of the community but we all have different lives. To represent a community, all the eyes are of similar random shapes; however, to represent diversity, different eyes wear different shoes.
Those who simply walk past can look at this work and assume it's just a colorful wall of circles but those who have the time can look deeper and begin to realize these eyes have legs and arms. The bigger eyes work as instagrammable spots, which is something that the younger audience might admire.
CONCEPT 3:
Come Rain Come Flowers
This design started with this cloud pattern representing SF fog. Then it eventually evolved into this serene scene that is meant to be calming and help destress viewers on their commute. It was inspired by the feeling of sitting in the back of a car and looking down the rows of an orchard.
The concept behind the design is to represent hope and growth. Without rain, there can’t be growth. We see it as looking at the bright side with the rain representing the quarantine and the flowers symbolizing flourishment and recovery. We used a sense of perspective to really draw the viewer into the scene.
We decided to create an animated background for a social media AR filter. The idea is that if someone notices the QR code in the “Have a ___ day” design they can use this AR and post it to their Instagram or send it to their friends.