Last spring, I had the exciting opportunity to redesign the 40-foot Community Outreach bus for TransLink. This was a particularly fun project because I got to create vibrant, eye-catching designs from scratch, bringing them to life on such a large scale. As the lead on the creative direction, I enjoyed turning concepts into something tangible and impactful. It was incredibly rewarding to see the design go from a blank page to a lively bus wrap that would be seen by so many people.
TransLink wanted the new wrap ready for summer events across Metro Vancouver, including the PNE, Car Free Days, music festivals, and the Whitecaps season. The focus was on the slogan, "Take transit to...!" with the goal of encouraging people to use transit to attend these local festivals and events.
My approach was to celebrate both the events themselves and the beautiful, accessible destinations that our transit system can take us to right here in our backyard. From beach days to hiking, movie nights, coffee dates, shopping, and more, the bus wrap became a visual representation of these everyday adventures.
Photo by Vincelen Salvaloza from TransLink
For the first concept, I drew inspiration from nostalgic postcards of classic summer destinations. Maintaining the new illustration style, each “stamp” features a unique event or activity — from music festivals to farmers' markets, dining out, and fireworks. It’s a fun, retro nod to the joys of summer travel and all the memorable experiences that come with it.
For the second concept, I wanted to add more playfulness into the design, so I went with a transit-themed take on Monopoly. The design is bright and bold, guiding viewers along a colorful path. Just like the first design, it highlights a variety of local events and activities that are accessible via transit.
Concept 1
Concept 2
The biggest challenge for this project was designing the interior of the bus, which has many different surfaces and spaces. My solution was to bring the same vibrant colours, patterns, and elements from the exterior wrap into the interior design, ensuring a cohesive and engaging experience from the outside in. The goal was to create a fun, interactive space that would make the bus feel bright, welcoming, and full of energy.
Photo by Vincelen Salvaloza from TransLink
Photo by Vincelen Salvaloza from TransLink
Photos by Vincelen Salvaloza from TransLink
I’m really proud of how the final design turned out. It was a great project to work on, and I’m excited to have had the chance to contribute to something that promotes both transit and our vibrant local community.
Created using Adobe Illustrator.