Next Stop was created as a branding concept for the next generation of highway rest stops in California. Its low-cost, easy-maintenance structure was designed to appeal to CalTrans in a time of budget cuts, and its promotion of local attractions creates buy-in from municipalities and the California Office of Tourism.
The Challenge
Coalinga Avenal rest area - not exactly a "destination."
CalTrans is looking to revamp its image and promote local tourism by overhauling highway rest areas around the state.
To this end, they are searching for a branding concept that will appeal to road weary travelers and change the seedy image that rest stops now evoke. In addition, they hope to use the rest stops to promote increased tourism in rural areas of the state.
The Concept
Today, long-distance road trips are mostly considered a chore. Travelers expect little more than a period of boredom between points A and B.
But there was a time in the not-too-distant past when ground travel carried with it a sense of excitement -- a sense that the journey was as much of an event as the destination. This time was the "golden age" of US passenger rail, lasting from 1880 to 1920.
With luxury dining and passenger cars, US passenger rail set the standard for the world at the turn of the 20th century.
INSIGHT: A nostalgic reminder of a time when travel was glamorous and exciting still holds a certain "magic" for road-weary drivers and their families.
OPPORTUNITY: A railway-themed rest area that makes use of renovated train cars as facilities, as well as a graphic treatment that breathes color and life into the lighter side of the early 20th century.
Environment
Upcycling vintage train cars into useful rest stop facilities is cheap, easy to maintain, and creates an aesthetic attractive to children and adults.
Logo
Inspiration came from the shape-constrained type treatment of St. Paul Southern Railroad's logo.
Inspired by logos of classic American railroad companies, I set out to create a classic logotype that fit cleanly within the confines of an outer shape. The goal was to create the appearance of a classic emblem.
Early iterations using "stop sign" polygons as containers for text.
The middle logo in the second row became a jumping-off point for the final product.
The final result has gravitas and heft -- appropriate for a railroad theme. It also reads as a stop sign-shaped emblem, with a craftsman-inspired "o" for an even more vintage touch.
Color Palette and Typeface
Black, white, and gray mixes with vibrant modern pops, breathing new life into old and conservative shades.
The aptly-named Raleway typeface combined a classic elegance with the modernity of sans-serif.
Local Tourism Brochures
Two brochure templates were designed to be available at Next Stop rest areas. Written for the Tijuana River Valley stop, these highlight the many outdoor activities available to travelers.
Infographic
A large-format infographic was designed as a government PSA about the value of textile recycling, an important concept for the increasingly polluted Tijuana River Valley.
Packaging
There is a further opportunity for Next Stop-branded items to be sold in vending machines on the premises. All packages are designed with the concept of showing the liveliness and humor of a bygone era. This can be seen in the photo selection, color treatment, and copy. Insides of packages are lined with humorous vintage newspaper headlines.
Restroom Signs
Finally, restroom signs were conceived and developed making use of the railroad theme.