1Street level
Enter at the green globes
Green lamps at the top of the stairs mark an entrance that is open all day and night.
TipRed lamps can mean the entrance is part-time or exit-only.
R Ready to Ride · 34 St–Herald Sq · A concept for the New York Transit Museum
Designing
for every rider.
Graphic and motion design for Ready to Ride, the museum's program that helps teens and young adults with developmental disabilities or autism travel the subway on their own.
Scroll to ride with Leo
Ride with Leo · 7 steps
One trip, step by step.
- 1Entrance
- 2Station agent
- 3Turnstiles
- 4Elevator
- 5Walk side
- 6Where to wait
- 7Board the train
2Mezzanine
Find the station agent
The booth near the turnstiles. Agents give directions and help with fares.
PracticeSay one question out loud: “Which train goes to …?”
3Fare control
Tap, wait for GO, walk through
Tap your card or phone on the reader. The wide gate with the blue symbol is for wheelchairs, strollers and luggage.
TipHave your card or phone ready before you reach the gate.
4Step-free route
Take the elevator down
Look for the blue elevator sign. It takes you to the platform without stairs.
TipCheck elevator status before you leave home.
5Platform
Walk on the walk side
Stay behind the yellow strip. Its bumps tell your feet where the edge begins.
TipCrowded? Stop by a column or a wall and wait.
6Platform
Stand to the side, let riders off
When the train stops, wait beside the doors, not in front of them. Riders get off first.
TipLate at night, wait in the yellow Off-Hours Waiting Area.
7On board
Step over the gap, move inside
Watch the gap between the platform and the train. Step in, move away from the doors and hold a pole.
Listen“Stand clear of the closing doors, please.”
First stop · The brief
What the museum asked for.
A one-hour virtual lesson for Ready to Ride, designed to teach independent subway travel clearly, calmly and step by step.
New York Transit Museum
Friends of the New York Transit Museum, Education department, with brand oversight from Marketing.
Teens and young adults
With developmental or learning disabilities, or autism, who want to ride the subway more independently.
~20 slides, one hour
A virtual PowerPoint program with photos, embedded video and basic animation, built on brand and accessibility guidelines.
- 3planning meetings
- 2rounds of revisions
- Mar 12027 delivery
Accessible by design · Rule 1 of 4
01Clear
One idea per slide.
Each slide teaches a single action: one large headline, one picture and one short sentence. No paragraphs and no jargon.
- Large type
- Plain words
- One picture
Accessible by design · Rule 2 of 4
02Calm
Slow, predictable motion.
Animations ease in gently and always move the same way. Nothing flashes, spins or appears without warning. Calm mode slows everything further.
- Gentle easing
- No flashing
- Calm mode
Accessible by design · Rule 3 of 4
03Consistent
The same layout on every step.
The headline, the picture and the route bar sit in the same place on every slide, so learners always know where to look and how far they are.
- Same layout
- Route bar
- Clear order
Accessible by design · Rule 4 of 4
04Inclusive
Built for every learner.
High-contrast colours, alt text on every image, captions on video, a set reading order, and audio narration you can turn on.
- High contrast
- Alt text
- Captions
- Audio
Accessible by design · four rules
Third stop · Process
Three meetings, two rounds.
1Meeting 1 · Kickoff
Understand
We meet the Education team to learn the program goals and the learners. I receive the content, photos and videos, plus the brand and accessibility guidelines.
2Design
First full draft
I build a slide system first: type, colour, layout and motion rules. Then all ~20 slides follow it, one action per slide.
3Meeting 2 · Review
Revision round 1
We walk through the draft together. Feedback from Education and Marketing is collected into one clear list, and every note is resolved.
4Meeting 3 · Final check
Revision round 2
Final adjustments, then an accessibility pass on every slide: alt text, reading order, captions and contrast.
5March 1, 2027
Delivery
The finished, editable lesson file with all media embedded, ready for the one-hour virtual program.
Fourth stop · Sample slides
What the lesson looks like.
Seven of the ~20 slides, as a working sample: five steps and a check-in question. Use the arrows, your keyboard, or turn Audio on to hear each slide.
End of the line · Ready to Ride
Let's ride together.
Thank you for riding along. I would love to design this lesson with the museum's Education team.