University of Wisconsin Eau Claire - Periscope Yearbook (Eau Claire, WI)

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I Assignment: Design and market public transit Color is a key to the ETC system The buses are colorful both inside and out and the maps, schedules and pathfinder signs are coded by color, name and number UWEC art students have pooled their talents over the past two years in a unique project—the design and marketing of a public transit system for the city. By September 1975, it was estimated that 5.000 man-hours had been spent on the Eau Claire Transit Com|»any (ETC) project. The tulent and effort of the students was reflected in a recent letter to the city by Nicholas Bade, marketing program manager for the I’rban Mass Transportation on Administration in Washington, D.C.: Congratulations for the excellent marketing program . . . (It is) easily one of the best in the country. It is comprehensive- and imaginitive.” University students got involved in the project in November 1975 when art instructor John Lawler heard of the city's decision to buy the then private transit system with federal assistance. Lawler saw this as a contemporary design problem for his advanced advertising design class. He mentioned the idea to his students who were intrigued by it. One student, a senior in commercial art. said. I personally drew an interest in the project because I had been following new graphics on planes for a long time. It would present a unique problem to solve ... a different kind of challenge. Lawler drew up a proposal to the City Council in which the students promised to produce a strong, progressive visual image for the new public transit system at no charge (except for materials) to the city. Flans included: design of the graphics in and on the buses and bus shelters, a pathfinder sign system, route maps, bus schedules, drivers' uniforms and advertising.

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9,859 housed in the Ramada Inn, 53 at St. Bede’s Priory, and 200 men have been accommodated in a mobile home village on Highway 12 which the owner has adapted for student residence. The remainder of the students live off campus in apartments and student homes. Q. CAN THE UNIVERSITY SCHOLASTICALLY ABSORB THE OVERFLOW? A. We can handle up to 10,000 students but we are trying now to stabilize. There are two major ways to compensate the increase in enrollment—additional staff and better distribution of students in classes. Thirty-four new staff positions were anticipated this year but we realize now that we'll need more than this. The class distribution of 10 in one class and 60 or more in another has not yet evened out. Q. ARE THERE ANY PLANS FOR EXPANSION TO ACCOM-MODATE STUDENTS? A. Yes. The Davies Center addition, scheduled for completion in February of 1977, will provide more room for students. St Rede's Priory, which house t 53 MVEC women, is located three and one half miles outside Eau Claire. A shuttle bus is used to travel to and from campus. Each room at St Bede's is divided by a partition and provides living space for four women Chancellor Haas, an Eau Clair alumnus and a member of the faculty from 1911. succeeded William R Davies os President in I960. 15

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Kan Claire Is Expecting! Il « «luc in April lo brromr I hr prouil parrnlt of rlrvrn new bu r . In preparation for I hr arrival v» are romplrlrl rr«lrti nin ihr map , •rhedulr . uniform and adding pathfinder •l«n . chrllrr and other convenience . The e will make riding the hu a hole Nr Eaperienre. Ad hope been cart fully planned. About left: Part of the campaign before the bust come played up the We're Expecting theme Above right: Upon arrival of the blue , a eeriea of Congratulationi ade appeared Lower: More recent ade uee the Take the but in-if rad idea and point out the advantage of riding a but rather than driving a car After getting approval from the City Council and Transit Comrais-aion, the group spent many hours talking and researching before designing. According to Lawler, they were systematic in their work and after coming up with the final design and color scheme, they spent hours working on a presentation and justified everything they did in order to answer any possible doubts about the project. The entire system is based on color and graphics. Each bus has seven colors on it; no two of the buses look the same. The buses carry no ads on the sides. We didn’t design a product and then design the advertising. We designed a product as a marketing effort. Everytime it goes by it sells itself.” Lawler contends. One student agrees, saying, We wanted the design to work by itself without any distractions. A carefully planned ad campaign informing citizens of the new system preceded the buses’ arrival. When they arrived on May 1, 1975, ribboncutting ceremonies, displays and a public dance were among the events held to welcome the new system to the city. Ridership has increased with the new system, new programs have been started, and more services are expected for the future. Although most of the original 11 design students have been graduated. new students enroll in the course each semester to take up where others have left off—creating ads and doing whatever design work there is to be done for ETC. Lawler estimates a 60 per cent turnover of students in the class each year. He says that although students in the class are not required to work on the ETC project, he’d like his class to continue with it as long as they're interested and while the city needs the students’ work. 17