The DME Award is not just another design award. It is a business award recognising the skills and leadership of management to implement design in their business for commercial success. Design is one of Europe’s greatest resources and is rapidly being recognised as a key element of innovative and successful businesses.

Companies and organisations across Europe are challenged to apply for the DME Award by demonstrating how design is integrated in their strategy, management and processes to achieve commercial gains. The DME Award has five categories: Large, Medium, Small and Micro businesses and Non Profit/Government organisations.

The design project of Tallinn Transport identity started in 2009 and evolved from an international accessibility project Cities for All – Tallinn for All. There were in-house field experts, team of design specialists, design students, external consultants, management team, production & setup team, and reflection group involved in the project.

There was no previous experience of design usage or management in Tallinn Transport Department. Despite that the goal of the project team was high — to change the user experience, image and communication of Tallinn public transportation to a great extent, following the lead of European cities with tens of years of experience (London, Zurich, Stockholm, etc.). Our mission was to make a similar impact on a very short timeline.

Due to the lack of resources there was a need to work with the existing transport infrastructure and design as large-scale as possible into the boundaries it sets. The main keywords were: systematisation, unification, information noise reduction and standardisation, aiming a user friendlier and more accessible service environment.

After a thorough research and target-group analyses, a directional document — Design Standard — was created, to fully dictate any design related decision in connection with Tallinn Transport. It guides user to follow specific rules using, placing and producing Tallinn Transport design and communication

elements (from information signage to userfriendly language use or accessible use of colour/type/layout/etc.).

All the following design decisions of the project team were based on, and designs executed following the Design Standard, and therefore

systematised and unified. It is recognised that the Design Standard carries one’s point only if consistently followed, audited, updated and its principles shared, trained and communicated.