Competition to design Victoria’s new Myki cards

Jun, 2025Events & Local Area

A state-wide competition will choose the new design of Victoria’s new youth Myki card.

Children aged 5 to 17 are eligible to enter from Friday 6 June.

Get designing quickly! Entries close Sunday 15 June 2025.

It’s predicted that over a million commuters will see the winning design.

The new card and design will be introduced to celebrate free public transport for all under-18s starting in January 2026.

The winning design will also receive a $1,000 gift card (terms and conditions apply, click here to visit the website).

Download the design entry template here.

The Premier and Minister for Public and Active Transport will select the winning entry.

Finalists will be announced later this year.

How to Enter

Create your design
Fill out the submission form with the help of a parent/guardian (and make sure you upload your entry by 11:59PM 15 June 2025).

Key criteria:

Open to Victorian residents aged 5–17.
Must be an original artwork.
Entries must reflect creativity and originality and be suitable for reproduction on a 54mm x 86mm card.

Transit Card Designs from Around the World

The visual design of a transit card varies a lot when you compare cities. Patterns are common, but some cities in different countries have looked to cultural references for inspiration.

Taipei, Taiwan issued a limited edition Pokémon EasyCard: This was a limited-edition card captured the hearts of young commuters and collectors alike.
Boston, USA – CharlieCard: Charlie is a character in a folk song about a man stuck on a subway train.
Mexico City – Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada (Integrated Mobility Card)

Melbourne Transit Card Design History

In the past decades Melbourne public transport tickets have changed, but they’ve never been as colourful as the new Youth Myki might be.

Punchcards (1950s–1980s): These paper tickets were manually validated by conductors and machines, often resulting in a nostalgic click-clack sound. Depending on the fare and the zone (1, 2, or 3, when zone 3 existed) the rectangular paper tickets would be different colours – yellow, blue or red with black text.
Metcard (1990s–2012): These arrived in the 1990s along with barriers at train stations. Metcards were thick paper with a magnetic strip. Their design started out with the familiar yellow, blue and red combined into one design. They didn’t really change much over 10+ years until they were phased out when Myki turned up.
Myki (2010–Present): The smartcard system was rolled out across Melbourne’s trains, trams, and buses. Themed designs have been made over the years.

Do you have a design in mind?

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