Trace Toronto is a civic dashboard designed to help residents stay informed about the city’s progress on public initiatives and infrastructure projects. By making government data more transparent and accessible, the platform aims to strengthen trust between the city and its residents while offering a clearer understanding of ongoing developments across Toronto.
Trace Toronto
Website
Department
Design
Program
Design (BDes)
Graduate Year
2027
Specialities
Branding / Directing / Package Design / UX/UI Design
Challenges
The primary challenge was determining what information matters most to citizens and how it should be presented in a way that is both clear and approachable. Key challenges included identifying relevant and meaningful data for everyday users, structuring complex civic information into an understandable system, designing a platform that feels transparent and trustworthy and balancing a new visual identity while aligning with the city’s existing branding.
Goals
The goal of Trace Toronto was to create a clear, accessible system that communicates government progress without overwhelming users. By aligning the visual language with the city’s established identity and prioritizing clarity in data presentation, the project aims to support transparency, trust, and long-term civic engagement.
Final Brand
Governments often aim to be more transparent and communicative in order to build trust with citizens. However, this information is frequently shared through complex reports or academic papers that are difficult for the public to access or understand. Through research, this project identifies a gap between government efforts and citizens’ ability to clearly see, understand, and engage with civic progress, making trust and meaningful dialogue hard to achieve.
