Cebu BRT dream
In our masteral class on research in digital content design, our group was assigned by renowned Cebu designer Mark Deutsch to come up with a digital content design and marketing peripherals for an envisioned Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
With a group composed of students coming from different disciplines, the goal was to come up with an interdisciplinary approach in designing the soft side of this type of mass transport system, mainly its communication approaches and operating arrangements.
We started by describing our current transportation system. Currently, at the starting point of the ordinary commuter's journey, he does not know the exact time the jeep will arrive and if there are seats available.
Waiting time depends on the hourly demand and availability of jeepneys or taxis. Oftentimes, designated jeepney stops are not followed in a scene of commuters scrambling for seats on the few available rides.
Alternatively, if the commuter is in a hurry he may take another form of transportation -the habal-habal. However, this form of transportation has no fixed price and is operating above regulations.
In a jeepney, the ride can be described as a cheap, colorful, and organic social experience. But it can also be crammed, polluted, unsafe, slow, noisy, humid, and wet (when it's raining).
With this in mind, we were presented with a hypothetical BRT system as a transport solution. Since our project was focused mainly on designing the communication and marketing peripherals for the envisioned BRT, we came up with possible slogans and then chose the one that says: "Moving Cebu in the right direction."
We designed next the BRT logo. We decided to form the logo based on a Cebuano cultural icon, the Sinulog or sinug -one step backward, two steps forward- the rhythmic movement of water forward as in a wave. We based the logo's color palette on Cebu's sunrise, the green pigment of Narra leaves, and the yellow shade of Narra flowers sprouting around Cebu during summer.
We then tried to envision the journey of a BRT rider by describing his would-be experience through the different touchpoints that depict his interaction with the transportation service: "I wake up and check my phone for updates. The BRT app sends me a notification that a bus is coming at the station nearest my place. I open the BRT app and see more details about the BRT schedule."
"Stepping out of the house, I waved at a BRT-accredited habal-habal and hopped on it to take me to the next nearest BRT station. Since the BRT app on my mobile phone says the nearest Bulacao station is fully booked this peak time in the morning, I asked the driver to bring me to Holy Rosary Station instead."
"Five minutes before the next bus arrives, says the digital billboard at the station. I still have time grab a quick brunch in a food stall nearby. A map shows me the current station and other stations in the BRT route."
"I grab my tactile BRT bus card and tap in as I boarded the bus. As I settle in my seat inside the air conditioned bus, the spacious ride rolling along smooth, dedicated lanes allows me to open my laptop and do some pre-work stuff aided by the BRT's free wifi service. I already know the estimated time I will arrive at my destination, thus, allowing me to focus on my work."
"As I alight from the bus, a Korean tourist approaches me and asks for directions. I point her toward the guard at the station's exit and at the large map above the wall."
"I notice earlier that my bus card is running out of load, so after tapping out at the exit gate, I scan its bar code with my phone and top off its load for my future rides using mobile e-cash."
"'BRTtitit! BRTtitit ta bai!' blares a seasonal promotional poster inviting commuters to catch the free rides on Sinulog day, as I walk past the station and into the street."
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