california zephyr // final

so here we are, ready to jump on a train and soak in all the sights from the heartland to the bay. for my amtrak poster i ended up going with my initial idea of creating a 3 dimensional model depicting the route.

first i sketched out my plan on the back of my type iterations…  //

80 constructed polygonal shapes later //

this came about //

then this happened //

and i ended up here //

now pack your bags. we’re going.

after some delay we have finally reached our destination//

 

after finally changing up the angle for which i photographed, my concept of transformation is now more clear. the different shapes/sizes can easily be compared. the depth of field helps enforce a beginning and end to the journey.

zephyr // round one

so i went the ambitious route. this concept in our idea crit got the most response with the concept behind it. i knew i wanted to focus on the sights that would be experienced on the ride, because from my past experiences i generally love just sitting and staring out the window the entire time, to me it’s all about the observation and seeing the sites. with building the paper model geometric shapes i was looking to recreate the change in terrain that this particular route travels thru. starting with gray boxes as the urban city in chicago, transitioning into the green and yellow grass and prairies found in iowa and nebraska, then into the mountains which range in color making its way to the bay in california. together the dimensionality and color gradient help to visualize the landscapes that would be seen. building a model brings emphasis to the dimensionally that varies across the country. riding these amtrak routes are a family adventure and the model is fun in relation to the resemblance to children’s toys and blocks. but the model can also relate to the older generations who are familiar with old fashioned train models, my take is just redefined in a more abstracted and modern geometric way. right now the photo isn’t great quality considering i took it in my dining room, and the golden gate bridge needs some work and the fact that i spelled experience wrong, but i am happy with the direction the poster is heading.

ideas for the california zephyr

for my design concepts for creating an amtrak poster for the california zephyr route [chicago, burlington, omaha, denver, glenwood springs, salt lake city, reno, sacramento, emeryville] the focus is more on the qualitative and less on the quantitative. my initial idea was to build landscapes for the major scenery seen from the heartland to the bay. the paper models would be representational and geometric. this concept is a bit whimsical to attract the children and the sort of model aspect appeals to the train model enthusiast. the concept with amtrak logo in the center is directed for the demographic of those in their twenties, who aren’t as familiar with the concept of riding a train. so it leans on the direction of layering different colors and shapes whiling combining with photographs, to make this train ride seem like a modern day activity to get out of the house and everyday life and enjoy the colors and landscapes seen in this beautiful country we live in. the yellow designs lean towards a vintage feel with still seeming fresh and up to date.  i through in a map on the last one to give a real visualization of the cities the train stops.