Amtrak Brand Expression – Industrial Design Portfolio

Amtrak

brand expression

Elevating the Travel Experience: Amtrak Lounges Bring the Brand to Life!

The Story

The Amtrak Metropolitan Lounges is an ongoing project focused on building scalable, consistent experiences across Amtrak's lounges nationwide.

I'd like to share the story of the ask and what the project hoped to achieve. Out of respect for Amtrak and Teague, I won't show the work publicly. Although I can demonstrate the process. Contact for more.

It's a
New Era

Amtrak will invest over $50 billion into modern trains, enhanced stations and facilities, new tunnels and bridges, and other critical infrastructure upgrades.

That's 50
Billion!

These generational investments mean we’re no longer only a passenger rail operator. Today, Amtrak is also a major construction company executing one of the largest capital programs in the history of the United States.

Amtrak has
First-Class Lounges?

Yes! and the time is right to make them an asset!
Lets explore why.

Rail Can
Compete

Thirty years ago, the benefits of air travel were clear and compelling, but times have changed. Air travel has become more challenging, while the appeal of train travel has steadily grown. As sustainability takes center stage globally, rail stands out as the cleanest mass transit solution available to us all.

TheJourney
is the Experience

Not all travel is the same. Amtrak stands out by allowing passengers to slow down and savor the journey. Unlike air travel, with its long lines, weather delays, and cramped spaces, Amtrak offers a chance to relax, enjoy the scenery, and connect with companions. It’s a travel experience you'll want to remember.

Why
Lounges?

First-class travel lounges have become an essential way for mass transit brands to make a lasting impression. They offer a unique opportunity to connect with loyal passengers by delivering a premium experience that goes beyond what’s possible in transit. These lounges allow brands to create memorable, ownable elements that passengers will want to share. It’s not about replicating the comfort of home—it’s about elevating it.

(Image Right: A mentor brand for the project was the Alaska Airlines lounge)

Amtrak First-Class
Metropolitan Lounges

Amtrak has lounges all over the nation, they are all differnt sizes and offer different levels of amenities and service.

New York (newest)
Chicago (largest)
Philidelphia
Los Angeles

The Ask

There is a lot of complexity here. The challenge was to design a new, scaled metropolitan lounge.

That is only part a more difficult problem to articulate. If consider all the vectors there are several underlying issues to solve.

How do we drive consistency throughout the first-class lounges?
NYC Moynihan Lounge is new how can it be leveraged?
Across all the lounges nothing "looks like Amtrak".

This is a brand expression project first,and an interior design project second

How

My role was to lead the process of developing an ownable design language for the Amtrak lounges. Here are some key steps the team took to drive progress.

Define the brand purpose
Conduct interviews with stakeholders
Identify mentor brands
Identify key shape drivers from the brand pyramid
Develop concept spaces and themes rooted in these shape drivers
Create clear physical representations that align the spaces with the brand
Identify the design unifiers, that can used to scale to different sizes spaces
Guide the design team to prioritize unique elements and memorable moments
Incorporate “Instagram-worthy” moments to amplify brand expression
Keep the passenger experience front and center, with a focus on the premium tier