Valley Metro Billboard

Case Study: Valley Metro “Stay Cool” Billboard Campaign

Overview

This billboard was designed as part of Valley Metro’s “Stay Cool” campaign, a public-service effort to help Phoenix residents stay safe during extreme heat. The goal was to take the human, community-driven tone of the campaign and translate it into a fast, high-impact outdoor format.

Concept

After exploring multiple headline and layout options, I selected the “Ride Smart. Stay Cool.” direction because it delivered an immediate message that could be read in seconds from a moving vehicle. The concept combined a strong headline on the left with a Valley Metro train graphic on the right, creating an instant visual link to public transit. The cool-blue gradient became the anchor of the design, reinforcing heat relief and clarity. 

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Design Execution

• High contrast color palette based on campaign brand colors

• Large, bold typography for distance readability

• Train illustration to tie the message directly to the Valley Metro system

• Minimal text to support rapid comprehension

• Full production setup: 14’x48’ CMYK printer file with bleed and a realistic Phoenix mockup
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Reflection

This project taught me how to simplify a message to its most essential parts without losing its emotional tone. Designing for a billboard forced me to think about scale, visibility, and how quickly people process information while moving. The final piece feels clean, modern, and visually aligned with the rest of the “Stay Cool” campaign.