Damascus
underground

Art direction / Branding
3D / UI/UX Design

This project was deep thinking about what is an underground, in the middle east, bilingual.
Which font to use, in both alphabet, how to compose with that. On top of that i had to think almost from scratch a underground in a city that don’t have any. Take references from the top subway signage system as New York, Paris, London, Moscow, Dubai, among many others. The result of this long study was this brand that use letter M which is the equivalent of the M in the latin alphabet. The letter mim in arabic have 3 shapes, the start one, the middle one and the end one. That is main concept that drive the all identity from the subway entrance that use both the Mim and the M letter in its shapes, to the way i transform the mim letters to a station or to a terminus or even to an indicator.

The three shapes
of the arabic letters Mim in a word

1. Initial Shape

The arabic letter Mim in its start shape became the beginning of a subway line.

The arabic letter Mim in its start shape became the begining of a subway line.

2. Nodal Shape

2. NODAL Shape

In its middle shape it became a connection between two stations.

In its middle shape it became a connection between two stations.

3. End/ALone Shape

In its end/alone shape it became a subway indicator.

3. End/Alone Shape

In its end/alone shape it became a subway indicator.

Logo_Damas_arabic_only

Logo_Damas_latin_only

Logo_Damas_both

4. A Multi-
lingual logo

Using an arabic and a latin typeface named Noto, the Damas underground logo could adapt at both situation.

5. Colors

Color inspired by the city of Damascus

6. Signage System

Designed to be read in both arabic and latin alphabet.
Station name, exit way, and current subways position in both way.

Designed to be read in both arabic and latin alphabet. Station name, exit way, and current subways position in both way.

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7. Subway entrance

The subway entrace use the arabic letter Mim as well in its architecture.
The start shape is used for the main part, and the end/alone shape is used to indicate that this is an subway entrance from far.
It is also illuminated at night as well as the time indicator for the next subway in both way.

The subway entrace use the arabic letter Mim as well in its architecture.The start shape is used for the main part, and the end/alone shape is used to indicate that this is an subway entrance from far. It is also illuminated at night as the time indicator for the next subway in both way.

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8. The Damascus Map

The map also use the differants shapes of the Mim.For exemple, the terminus use the end shape.

9. The ticket

The ticket named “bitaquat” from it’s arabic denomination. It cames in different colors related to the city.

10. Icons

All icons of the damascus underground projet was designed
with the starting point of the exit icons made initially for the signage system.

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11. The Damascus Subway App

The mobile app help to find quickly his way in the subway system, by having favorite, quick selection
of destination by touching two stations or just knowing when are the next subway in both way in the selected station.

The mobile app help to find quickly his way in the subway system, by having favorite, quick selection of destination by touching two stations or just knowing when are the next subway in both way in the selected station.