2026

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My First Ride

My First Ride (Moja Pierwsza Podróż) is a public awareness campaign created for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to help Polish-speaking communities navigate public transit more easily. Designed for recent Polish immigrants and infrequent Polish riders who may primarily rely on CTA for work trips. The campaign uses illustrated storytelling and Polish to convey key transit concepts through everyday experiences rather than focusing on commuting. The stories highlight community-centered activities such as visiting friends and family, running errands, going to a local market, and spending time in neighborhood parks, showing public transit as an accessible part of daily life.

The visual direction was developed through research into Polish folk art, printed media, and the lived experiences of Polish immigrants in Chicago.

Traditional embroidery patterns from the Kaszuby region of Poland inspired the decorative borders. The figures and color-blocked backgrounds reference the handmade watercolor, marker, and ink-based illustrations found in Polish schoolbooks and children's literature. White hand-drawn type was developed to be highly legible at the scale of a bus shelter and to add a bright tone to each poster. Each illustration features people inspired by Chicago’s Polish community, and the final artwork was adapted for installation across five bus shelters in Polish-speaking neighborhoods throughout Chicago.

Deliverables: Illustration, Typography, Art Direction, Print

2026

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