SF MUNI

The MUNI logo was designed in the 1970's by graphic designer Walter Landor. "MUNI" (or "Muni") is short for the word "Municipal" in "San Francisco Municipal Railway." The abbreviated logo has proven to be successful especially in the city's "slang" for local transportation; most, if not all San Francisco natives refer to both the metro system and buses as "Muni." The curvy or wavy design of the word "MUNI" is one of the most unique and interesting characteristics of the logo because it slightly resembles both a transit route map as well as train tracks. The continuous meandering of the letters may be a clever representation of how the metro rails and buses are also constantly meandering through the streets of San Francisco. Like the city's well-known trademark, the Golden Gate Bridge, the red hue of the logo seems to be a strategic design decision by Landor to represent a sense of locality. To non-locals who are unfamiliar with "MUNI" or San Francisco's local transportation in general, the logo may initially be difficult to read as well as develop slight confusion to the meaning of the word "MUNI." As a San Francisco-based graphic designer, however, Landor flourished in capturing the characteristics of the local transportation as well as the essence of the city in a simple, unique, and effective logo with San Francisco transit commuters in mind.

Sources:

• Ferro, Shaunacy. "What San Francisco's Muni System Would Look Like With A Facelift." Fast Company. Mansueto Ventures, LLC, 2014. Web. 04 Oct 2014.

• Kim, Derek. "Muni Rebranding Concept." DK. Derek Kim, 2014. Web. 04 Oct. 2014

• Souppouris, Aaron. "Rethinking San Francisco's Muni logo." The Verge. Vox Media, 2014. Web. 04 Oct. 2014.