Design Objective
Create a concept of a transportation system for the Walt Disney Imagineering 2025 Imaginations Design Competition based on a city’s pre-existing transportation system. Our multidisciplinary team created an energy-efficient ferry system based in Seattle complete with stops and a main station that transports guests to various Seattle landmarks while providing entertaining and immersive on-board experiences inspired by the defining aspects of Seattle's history and culture.
Out of 85 teams across that entered across the country, our team earned the honor of being the Third Place Winners.
Adobe Illustrator, Procreate
Components:
Story and Characters
Ferry Stops
Main Station
The Sea Major Ferry
Guest Experience
Operational Signage
Left to Right:
Mickey Mouse: Company Mascot, Professional Sorcerer, and Creator of Happiness
Cody Warren: Main Station Concept and Model Designer, Story Concepts Creator
Chase Stafford: Team Lead, Creative Director, Ferry Designer, Interactive Spray Can Table Designer, Writer
Drake Small: Guest Experience Concept Creator, Electronics Designer, Researcher
Melanie Woo: Brand Designer, Concept Artist, Lead Graphic Designer and Illustrator, and Character Designer
Story and Characters
Every day in the main station of the Sea Major ferry in Seattle, the same song plays over and over again. All the fish who live in the aquariums at the station dance and sing along to it, all except Pike the unicorn fish.
Pike is a curious fish who wants to find his groove. To embark on his journey, he escapes his tank, spray paints himself on his tank to fool anyone who might wonder where he went, and asks guests to help him get to his destination aboard the Sea Major. Guests will travel with Pike to attend one of three different concerts run by three different Seattle-based musicians.
Depending where guests travel to, they will either encounter Mackerelmore the pacific mackerel’s songs in Gas Works Park, Sir Swims a Lot the king salmon’s mixes at Pike Place Market, or Pearl and Clam the Olympia Oyster and Pearl from a Pacific Oyster duo’s jams at the Space Needle.
Poster by Melanie Woo
Character Designs by Melanie Woo
Ferry Stops
The four foundational pillars of Seattle that we based our project on were its graffiti, music, sea life, and ferry transportation system.
Based on these four pillars, we placed our main station close to the Seattle Aquarium and chose four major ports: the Space Needle, Gas Works Park, and Pike Place Market.
Map by Chase Stafford
Main Station
The main station was inspired by the Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid and was designed to resemble characteristics of both the ocean and an aquarium.
The coral-like patterns on the outside, waved roofing, and cool blue colors serve to set the tone for guests before they enter the station.
The inside of the station features two floors. The first floor features a main lobby, a room with native Seattle fish, a help desk with departure schedules, and a gift shop. The second floor features a story room where guests will meet Pike and get introduced to the story of the ride, a waiting room, and a boarding room.
Main Station by Cody Warren
Main Station Floor Plans by Cody Warren
Main Station Story Room Concept Sketches by Melanie Woo
The Sea Major Ferry
The design of the main ferry called the Sea Major utilizes a hybrid electric system that favors sustainability by being a strict overlay of a pre-existing ferry to save resources and time rather than a newly designed ferry.
For the visual design, the color layout pays homage to the Disney cruises with the white on top and color on the bottom, and the teal on the bottom references both the teal of the Seattle flag and Seattle ferries which have teal on the bottom. The Sea Major also has its own overall visual identity through its blue radar masts on the top that look like Pike’s unicornfish horn. It also shows both the vessel’s and the Seattle community’s connection to the ocean. The overall colors are also functional because the white of the top part of the ferry makes it visible to other boats against the blue sea.
The layout of the Sea Major consists of two different floor decks. The first deck features many interactive “Create a Fish” booths along with a stage where events can be hosted. The second deck is where guests can go to experience the live tours. Since the overall design is a strict overlay, the Sea Major comes with the basic accommodations and needs that passengers expect from a ferry.
Ferry Models by Chase Stafford
Ferry Colors by Melanie Woo
Ferry Floor Plans by Cody Warren
Guest Experience
Once Guests board the Sea Major, Pike tells them that this particular ferry is powered by a magical energy made by music called “music essence”. To help Pike, guests will have the immersive experience of being responsible for creating a fish choir to power the ferry with their songs. Guests have the option to sit at one of our “Create a fish” booths, and virtually spray paint their own graffiti style fish that comes to life and sings. Guests can also find Pike swimming around the virtual tanks during their journey.
Guest who wish to have a different experience can instead to go to the second floor of the ferry where a crew member will give an informative and entertaining tour of Seattle with an emphasis on its culture and history.
After disembarking from their journey from the station of their choice, guests can take their boarding passes to that station’s ticket stamping table and stamp their own ticket there for a personalized and memorable souvenir experience.
Ferry Interior Concept Art by Melanie Woo
Table, Spray Can, and PCB by Drake Small
Ticket and Stamp Designs by Melanie Woo
Operational Signage
The project submission features two main kinds of operational signage that serve to guide guests in their own journeys with Pike and the Sea Major.
The bright yellow boarding signage contrasting with the blues of the interior of the station serves to alert guests for when it is time for them to embark the Sea Major. The “How to Use the Create a Fish Booths” instructional signage will be at every Create a Fish booth and they serve to assist in providing further guidance to guests who may need clear and direct directions for how to use the interface at the booths so they can spay paint their own fish.
Signage Designs by Melanie Woo
The project was conceived by the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Team and created for the 2025 Walt Disney Imagineering’s Imaginations Design Competition
This project is the sole property of Walt Disney Imagineering and all rights to use these ideas are exclusive to Walt Disney Imagineering
The competition is a way for students and recent graduates to showcase their talents and for Walt Disney Imagineering to identify new talent