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Congratulations to Paul Miller, whose design was the unanimous pick of our judges to become the new look of the MTA!
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Bike, Muni, Walk . . . SFMTA got your ticket
Updated: May 26, 2012 Richard C3
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Bike, Muni, Walk . . . SFMTA got your ticket
MTA enshrouded by SF fog
Bike, Muni, Walk . . . SFMTA got your ticket
MTA - Color separated for clarity
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My design takes a playful approach to logo design by incorporating the MTA initials into the span of a local bridge, enshrouded by fog. By using the concept of object permanence (the principle of seeing something that isn't completely there, based on previous learning of an object), I was able to create a logo using just one element of a local bridge (the tower with both its descending and vertical cables), in conjunction with one of San Francisco's most infamous/ubiquitous/loved-but-maligned sights, the fog. Being that the MTA is an everyday fixture in the lives of San Franciscans (like the bridge and the fog), the logo reflects the many different interpretations people see when they think of the MTA.

To create my illusion, I used the left and right descending main cable, from the top of a tower section, extending outward with a flair to the horizontal roadbed base below. To see the letters in the span, imagine the letters of MTA spelled like "mTa". The main tower anchorage creates the “T”. The "m" and the "a", while only being fully created in the brain, are alluded to by using the vertical cables as the vertical sections of the letters. The missing parts of the letters are physically hidden from our view, just as it would be on a foggy summer night. Hence, MTA is "hiding in plain sight", disguised in the bridge, utilizing object permanence. And in a further play on the creativity of the design, the bridge in question could be either the Golden Gate Bridge or the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge, since only one tower is being used.
While I might not be the most prolific graphic designer in this competition, I believe the foundation for my design provides an opportunity to create a logo that not only represents the MTA by borrowing San Francisco-specific elements, but also incorporates many fun elements which will spark curiosity, evoke comforting images of the city we love, and challenge our patrons to discover new things about the MTA.

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This project is made possible by the City and County of San Francisco, SPUR, the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services and the Department of Technology
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