TRISHA
IYER
Rhaetian Railway Rebrand
Designed a new brand identity for the Rhaetian Railway while also illustrating how the brand will be applied in different circumstances.
ROLE
Brand & Graphic Designer
TEAM
Solo
TOOLS
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Indesign
Adobe Photoshop
Figma
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Task
Choose a UNESCO World Heritage site and create a new brand identity for it. This brand identity will be applied to a range of items like a letterhead, an information sheet, business cards, a website, a van, site signs, a booklet etc.
The Rhaetian Railway
I chose the Rhaetian Railway, a railway that goes through alpine vistas, forests, and towns in Switzerland. It’s bridges and viaducts are said to be feats of engineering due to the heights they were constructed at.
Visual Summary
This is the overall visual summary (meant to printed at 44 x 48 inches). It includes all identity elements and items that show brand usage.
Mark & Logotype
One of my tasks was to create two unique logos, one that was graphic and one that was typographic. Both had to work together in harmony.
Current Logo
This is the current logo of the railway, which incorporates both graphic and typographic elements.
New Graphic Logo Iterations
I wanted to make logos that focused on the surrounding environment and viaducts, especially since the viaducts have historical significance in the engineering field.
Version 1
These were illustrations of the actual train and environment. I was frustrated because they didn’t feel like logos.
Final Version
I created an isometric graphical mark, featuring the train, a viaduct, and a mountain.
Version 2
I received feedback that I should focus more on shadows in the environment, and this is my second version from that advice. My last iteration was the strongest, but the shadows of the viaduct looked like an ‘m.’
New Logotype Iterations
The logotype has to be recognizable and stand alone from the the graphical mark. However, they also have to work in harmony. I once again focused on the viaducts, making use of their height to manipulate letters.
Iterations
Final Version
This was the most effective logotype because it felt the least cramped. Also, when combined with the graphical mark, it looks like two sides of a railway.
Graphical Element
Another task was to create a pattern or graphical element to go along with the brand.
Initial Versions
I wanted to focus on the natural elements around the railway, and I tried incorporating both the sky and the trees. However, the trees weren’t working, and it felt too busy. You can see an example in the letterhead.
Final
I got rid of the trees and extended the sky. You can also see the up-to-date logos in this version.
Overall Identity
Colors
Graphical Element
Breakdown
Typography
I wanted to use angles in the type because the logo is isometric and has angles. Also, angles are very Swiss in design, so it made sense.
However, there are accessibility considerations, and the text must be readable at an angle. So, only the header text is angled, and paragraph text doesn’t have angles. This is because headers are large or bold, so they can be read at angles.
The angle is 18 degrees, which is the same text angle as the logotype.
Logotype & Mark
Press
Letterhead
8.5 x 11''
Info Sheet
8.5 x 11''
Envelope
The envelope is meant to enclose the info sheet and letterhead.
A10 Template
Front
Back
Business Card
2.5 x 6''
Closed
Open
New Yorker Advertisements
This is a series of three New Yorker advertisements (displayed sideways). They showcase unique sites along the railway through full-bleed photographs.
This is meant to advertise a Rhaetian Railway Exhibition in the Museum of Fine Arts.
Booklet
The booklet showcases two different informational articles: one for the Rhaetian Railway and one for UNESCO as a whole. I angled the bottom of the pages to mimic the angle of the logos. This is a book meant to be printed and stapled along the edge.
Page Size: 7.5 x 10’’
Front
Back
Example Spreads
Van
This is the design for a van, with a modified logo to make the railway itself stand out. I did this to make the van eye-catching and clear as to what it’s advertising.
Digital
Current Website
For the website, the only deliverable was a new landing page. The current Rhaetian Railway website focuses on photography, and that’s effective because the landscapes are eye-catching.
New Designs with the New Brand
I incorporated the photography in a new way that also showcased my brand elements and new identity.
Desktop Landing Page
Mobile Landing Page
App Button
Site Signs
These are informational signs meant to be placed in the train stations themselves. The curved shape mimics the arches in a viaduct. The actual information is typeset in 8 languages: German, French, Italian, English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic.
Material: Stiff Waterproof Vinyl
Typesetting
You can see 4/8 languages below.