Ho Chi Minh City Metro Identity: From HSU Student Graduation Project to New Urban Transportation Icon

In recent days, Ho Chi Minh City residents have been excited to experience the Ho Chi Minh’s first metro line, Metro No. 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien). What is less known is that the logo and brand identity were not created by industry experts but by Graphic Design students from Hoa Sen University.

HSU Students Behind the Ho Chi Minh City Metro Identity

December 22, 2024, marked a historic milestone as Ho Chi Minh City officially opened Metro Line No. 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien) after 17 years of construction. Beyond the thrill of the first line journeys, what surprised many was that its visual identity was created not by experts but by Graphic Design program students from Hoa Sen University (HSU).

The Metro identity project was the graduation project of two HSU Graphic Design students, Mr. Nguyen Pham Truong An and Mr. Nguyen Thai Hoc, mentored by MA. Tran Thi Nhat Tram, Graphic Design Lecturer. Recognizing the project’s high feasibility and wishing to contribute value to the city’s major development, the research team proactively presented their idea to the Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) and Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railways No.1 Company Limited (HURC1).

Student Graduation Project as Urban Transportation Icon

Following extensive discussions, research, and adjustments, the team’s design was officially put into use in January 2021.  The updated HCMC Metro logo retained the essence of the original while adding a more modern, streamlined, and versatile look.

By mutual agreement, the entire brand identity system was newly designed, except for the HCMC Metro logo, which was reinterpreted from the original to preserve the recognition built throughout the construction journey. The logo was modified to enhance simplicity and versatility, and, most importantly, to better reflect the core characteristics of the HCMC Metro brand: safety, modernity, punctuality, and the pride of Ho Chi Minh City and the nation.

Sharing about the project, Mr. Nguyen Thai Hoc emphasized: “Saigon was the heart of our inspiration. We wanted the Metro to reflect the city’s culture, so it could feel like a part of people’s everyday lives”.

Training Integration of Education and Social Practice

On December 17, 2023, the HCMC Metro Brand Identity project “Mê tro – Mê phố” won the “Promising Image Design” award at the Vietnam Creative Advertising Awards, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, to honor creative works with strong community and social impact.

The Ho Chi Minh City Metro identity system stands as proof of HSU’s training philosophy: bridging academia with business, turning real-world challenges into academic projects, and producing highly applicable outcomes. This success is a source of pride for HSU students and lecturers and highlights the power of education in shaping solutions for the city’s major developments.

Created: Tan Tai – Hoai Thuong

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