Beginning of June 2022, I took up the task of creating an unofficial alternate logo for Pasažieru Vilciens, or "Passenger Train", the national passenger rail company of Latvia. The current logo, although modern and attractive, is complex and detailed. This may not fit situations where a minimal and heavily simplified logo is required, such as logos used in a small scale or in a quickly recognisable setting. For this reason, I made the PV logo incorporating elements of modern simplicity and minimalism, to ensure it is very easily accessible, replicable, and legible, while also maintaining originality so it can be recognised with ease. This project was done for practice, and is in no way official or directly related to PV.
I constructed the identity by maintaining strict geometry throughout the logo and logotype. It was important to retain simplicity due to the logo's function, which was for it to be an easily recognisable and accessible icon. The logotype uses a base font of MonTSerrat, edited and manipulated for better kerning, and more simplified geometric shapes allowing it to fit alongside the logo more seamlessly. Although originally sketching an askew version of the logo, I decided the logo and all vertical lines in the logotype must remain completely straight, with no skewing or rotations. This straightness ensures that when the logo is viewed from an angle or distance, it will remain undistorted, and will fit alongside the horizon. This robustness comes alongside the fact that it is intended for a piece of critical infrastructure.
The colour-scheme remained identical to that of the current new PV trains, which are said to be yellow to increase awareness and safety from both passengers and passerby's. The colours are retained in all elements of design, from customer cards, tickets, promotional media, and trains themselves, to ensure the brand is associated with the unique colour scheme, differentiating itself within Latvian transport infrastructure.
