Graphic Design student creates transport map for local bus company

For BA(Hons) Graphic Design student Clay Ono, an interest in cartography and sustainable travel has led him towards using the skills gained from his degree to create a clear and well-presented map for one of Falmouth’s most recognisable bus companies, OTS Minibus & Coach Hire. 

Now, the company are using his designs on their website after being impressed by the quality of his work.  

“I really got into cartography while I was in my first year at Falmouth,” Clay told us, when asked what interested him about mapmaking. “I wanted to carve out a bit of a design niche for myself, and I began to practise making maps of Falmouth and its surroundings.”

It was after two years of developing and refining his work that Clay felt able to confidently reach out to OTS, a bus service based in Falmouth that’s part of the Transport for Cornwall network. “The collaboration started in February, when I first reached out and we had a really productive meeting,” Clay shared. “Then after some more development, I had finished the project by mid-March.”

Reflecting on what inspired him to reach out to OTS, Clay shared: “A lot of my practice revolves around transport design. Effective public transport systems can be a real gamechanger for communities, connecting people to leisure, education and work opportunities whilst also being a more sustainable way to get around. Because of this, I believe these networks should be as well-presented and as appealing as possible to encourage their usage.

“The Falmouth and Penryn area is home to thousands of university students and is also a big tourism hotspot, which means there are many people in the area who wouldn’t be familiar with the local transit network. In fact, several students I’ve spoken to about the map had no idea university students were even allowed on board OTS services!