© 2025 by Juliana N. Abrantes
Nightline Palermo
Nightline Palermo is a fictional night train connection from Lucerne to Palermo. The project explores how graphic design can capture the in-between state of dreaming and traveling, that moment when night, movement, and imagination begin to merge. Through photography, collage, and hand-made textures, I wanted to create a poetic visual identity that makes people curious about Palermo and about the idea of traveling overnight.
Role
Graphic Designer
Tools
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Year
2020
Visual World
The bed became the central symbol of the project, a place of rest but also a vehicle of imagination. Placed on train tracks, it transforms into a metaphor for the night train. Around it, collages unfold in which people appear to dream their way into Palermo. The city reveals itself through fragments of architecture, food, flora, and cultural icons, layered with watercolor washes and long-exposure photography. The result is a surreal world where Palermo exists as both destination and dream.
Typography
To complement these dreamlike images, I designed a wordmark that is both subtle and expressive. Its ligatures recall the curves of railway tracks, while the dotted "i" becomes a star in the night sky. The display typography is more playful and flowing, while the body text remains calm and readable, creating balance between atmosphere and clarity.
Applications
The graphic identity extends across several touchpoints. Posters and billboards translate the collages into striking messages for train stations. A leporello brochure unfolds like a journey from night to day, combining text and imagery in a fluid rhythm. The train exterior is imagined as a moving canvas, where the collages appear directly on the wagons. A one-page website completes the system, designed to scroll like the leporello and follow the rhythm of a day turning into night.
Conclusion
Nightline Palermo is less about transport and more about emotion. It uses graphic design to transform a train ride into a dreamlike experience, a journey where sleep and imagination guide the way to Palermo.