I led design of Amtrak’s 2023 sustainability report, chronicling how every aspect of the agency—customer experience, operations, workforce—is moving in harmony toward a greener future.

Role Design Lead, Project Manager
For Amtrak
Date 2024
Service strategy, content, campaign

Design Mike Ernst, Emanuel Papageorgiou

How do you help an agency communicate the full spectrum of its accomplishments?

Amtrak’s approach to sustainability extends far beyond saving paper and counting carbon; it also includes its efforts to boost ridership and build more energy-efficient operations, both of which can make train travel a cleaner alternative to traditional auto and air travel. The agency’s sustainability team was looking for an efficient and collaborative way to communicate this complexity in its annual sustainability report, and asked my studio at Arup to help.

Design & Collaboration

I thought it was pretty cool that Amtrak was taking a wider approach to sustainability, so for the overall design concept I ran with the idea that the best thing it can do for the environment is to get more people to ride the train. I took inspiration from the excitement of the passenger experience and referencing old 1970s ads that helped Amtrak to launch itself as a fun alternative to planes and cars.

My team’s approach to developing the design helped Amtrak to feel like a true partner in the design process, from regular updates to discuss concept explorations and simplify the narrative flow, to data visualization and incorporating hundreds of comments from senior leadership.