Novosibirsk Metro
Novosibirsk Metro is a rapid transit system that serves Novosibirsk, Russia. In 2019 we had a task to redesign its website. The previous site was outdated, not adaptive and hard to manage. Along with the website, we put forward an initiative to update the logo and develop a guide for its use. The result is an updated look of the Novosibirsk Metro.
In 2016, as an initiative, we developed the concept of the logo, map, and website for Novosibirsk Metro. We managed to arrange a presentation with Novosibirsk Metro management. Based on the results of the presentation, our initiative received a positive response, but was postponed.
In 2019, having received a call from Novosibirsk Metro, we refreshed the concept and made a new presentation. As a result of the presentation, we understood that it was necessary to completely get rid of old characters and rethink the approach. We made several options and presented the first approach.
After the presentation, we get feedback on the need for connection between the subway logo and the city flag. We uphold our previous options, considering them self-sufficient. Additional symbolism and colors, in our opinion, seems superfluous. As a result, a modified version is approved instead.
However, we still made the logo technically very accurate. After introducing the logo, we find that Novosibirsk Metro needs to develop guidelines for using the logo. Different people are responsible for the publication and production of the materials, so a detailed user manual is needed.
Along with the logo, another part of the team worked on the website. We started with a research, as is the case with any studio project: we studied the sites of transport structures in Russia and Europe, conducted a UI/UX examination, analyzed solutions on the market, and collected site requirements from all departments. We formalized all the results in the form of a site structure and technical specification.
According to the results of the study, we presented one version of the site’s concept, which was the only right decision. The main page had to be as simple as possible, work without problems on any, even old, browsers, easily update and adapt to content of various quality. We proposed a block structure that easily adapted to any modern devices.
While working on the project, we were faced with a lack of photos and videos for the website. Since on the main page we planned to use a short video, and on the internal pages photos of Novosibirsk Metro, we decided to conduct a photo and video shoot. All events were agreed with Novosibirsk Metro and took about two weeks.
In total, we have drawn over 50 pages for the main and internal sections of the website. In addition to the pages in the main resolution, versions for the smartphone, tablet and widescreen screen were drawn. We also developed a common design system for the entire site: indents, fonts, sizes, colors, guidance on forms, links, buttons.
In addition to the logo and website, we have developed the concept of the metro scheme.