TRIO

Living Brand System & Transit Experience

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OVERVIEW

Project Brief

This project was completed for GD 301: Branding, Interaction, and Service Design at NC State University during the Fall 2026 semester. Working in a four-person team (Cara Beth Erikson, Kate Evenhouse, Kelsey Woodring, and Meg Lee) on Track 4: Public Transit & Service Design, our challenge was to create a speculative, adaptive living brand system for the Raleigh-to-Durham commuter rail network.

The Problem

As population density rapidly expands across the Research Triangle, over 65,000 daily professionals in Research Triangle Park (RTP) face stressful commute traffic and overwhelming transit environments. Existing rail stations often feel cold, confusing, and impersonal, forcing passengers to split attention across conflicting directions and navigate high-friction spaces.

The Solution

TRIO is an adaptive, human-centered living brand system designed to eliminate navigation anxiety for commuters traveling between Raleigh Union Station and Durham Station. Blending spatial wayfinding, interactive digital floor projections, physical train wraps, real-time route maps, smartwatch alerts, and a mobile app, TRIO grounds high-tech adaptive transit in the distinct identity of the Triangle by weaving in colors and iconography from NCSU, UNC, and Duke.

PROCESS

01. RESEARCH & STRATEGIC FRAMING

Strategic Path & Tension

Following studio critiques, our team pivoted from Path B - Tactile Humanity to Path A - Adaptive Intelligence by leveraging real-time tracking and clarity of communication to reduce commuter friction. To prevent this system from feeling cold or generic, we anchored the visual identity by integrating the iconic colors and iconography of the three major universities in the Triangle (NCSU, UNC, and Duke).

USER STORY

"As a daily commuter in a densely populated area, I want a clear and consistent system where I can be fully aware of train status, navigate through the station, and board my train without switching my attention between conflicting directions or getting lost in crowds."

USER PERSONA & AUDIENCE

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