ORCA Card Designs

Since their introduction in 2009, ORCA (One Regional Card for All) cards have helped travelers navigate the different transit systems of the Puget Sound region.

Since 2016, there have been a number of limited edition cards that have been released to celebrate milestones such as new stations, anniversaries, and more.

I took on the design challenge to come up with several ORCA card designs that I’d like to see introduced in the near future.

King County Metro 50th Anniversary

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of King County Metro, I designed this commemorative ORCA card. The card design imitates a typical bus stop sign you’d find around King County. This one in particular features the #50 line, which today takes Seattlites between SODO and Alki Beach. The stop number, No. 1973, signifies the year that Sound Transit was founded. To complete the standard of including both the ORCA and local agencies logos, I placed them in the space at the bottom typically used for additional stop information.

Sound Transit

Many of the region-connecting transit routes in the greater Seattle area are operated by Sound Transit. This simple card design features the iconic blue color palette used by the agency, with their logo placed in the lower-right corner.

Washington Department of Transportation

This card’s design is inspired by the iconic ferries that traverse Elliott Bay and the San Juan Islands across ten different routes. Since 1951, the Washington State Ferry system has served travelers around the Puget Sound, so I thought it was only fitting to create a commemorative card for them.

My Physical Collection

This is my colleciton of ORCA cards that I've managed to collect. Some day, I hope to physically have one of my own designs!