Skip to main content
 

WINTER PARK, COLORADO

Branding a system.
Modernizing a community.

RIDE ON!
WINTER PARK

TRANSFORMING COLORADO’S FAVORITE PLAYGROUND
Winter Park is known for its powdery terrain, wide open spaces and mind-blowing mountain vistas. The community is proud of its moniker, “Colorado’s Favorite Playground,” symbolic of its unlimited outdoor activities and being the destination of choice for local Coloradans.

RIDING WINTER PARK
Dedicated to better serving local residents and visitors, the Town of Winter Park embarked upon an ambitious initiative of building a new transit system complete with a fleet of new vehicles. Studio Six was hired to brand and modernize the system including identity, vehicle branding, city-wide signage, marketing and PR.

PROJECT SCOPE
Stakeholder Engagement, Visual Identity, Fleet Design, Signage System, Map Design, Print & Online Advertising, Social Media Video, Transit Center Environmental Design Graphic Standards, Uniform Design

\\   Fleet Branding

Winter Park and Beyond tagline overlay picture of couple walking next to Lift bus at a bus stop holding transit map

SHAPING
A NEW
PERCEPTION

BRAND CHALLENGE
After a series of community engagement sessions, the stakeholder group identified one of the primary branding challenges of Winter Park—its perception as a winter-only destination. And while Winter Park offers exceptional skiing and winter sports, the town also offers an array of recreational activities all year. The community is intentional about shaping a new perception, one that communicates its four season offerings. The tagline we developed, “Winter Park + Beyond,” when represented graphically reads “Winter + Beyond.”

\\   Tagline Development

or WINTER PARK + BEYOND Tagline and color palette
Colorful shuttle against fall trees
The Lift Mary Jane bus stop
The Lift Winter Park Transit logo

A BRAND
ARTICULATED

STUDIO SIX SOLUTION
The final brand was strategically designed to represent the four seasons of Winter Park and its angular mountainous geography. We developed a unified transit system which is consistent between all brand touchpoints including the fleet, wayfinding, maps, advertising, etc. To further improve the rider experience, we analyzed and refined the signage and mapping systems for increased clarity and ease of use.

The Winter Park rebrand transformed not only the transit system but helped the community articulate their identity and shape a new modern perception of the town. The new brand is dynamic, exciting and elevates the perception of public transportation.

The lift bus after new branding
Colorful map design of the transit routes
Transit Photography of people interacting with bus


“Studio Six had a very clear plan as to how to execute our project in a very tight three month time line and it gave us a lot of confidence to contract with Studio Six. We saw the professionalism they would bring to our system.”

– Michael Koch
Transit Manager, Town of Winter Park

BEHIND THE SCENES
Three months. We were given the challenge of branding and deploying a newly branded transit system (fleet, city-wide signage, maps, marketing, advertising and PR) in less than three months. The fleet was to be wrapped and in service, hundreds of custom pole and pylon signs designed, fabricated and installed, maps designed and advertising launched. With the laser focus of our staff including designers, proof-readers, map designers and exceptional fabricators, we met the deadline in time for ski-season at the height of tourism in Winter Park.

Laptop screen of winter park lift website featured

RIDERSHIP
SOARS

THE RESULTS
Since the newly branded system launched, dramatic ridership increases have been measured, so much so that CASTA awarded the Lift, “Colorado’s Transit Resort Agency of the Year,” for two consecutive years. Winter Park residents have embraced the system and property demand along the routes is increasing.

Winner:
2019, Colorado Transit Resort Agency of the Year, CASTA
2017, Colorado Transit Resort Agency of the Year, CASTA

RIDERSHIP INCREASES

135

After expanding service within Grand County, the new Granby service immediately increased 135%.

103

The first summer after the Lift was launched, ridership increased from 2,329 to 4,718 riders.

43

Two years into service, November ridership increases 43% over the previous year.

Next Project