Under by Lingfei Cao: Where Sound Meets Typography in the New York Subway

Every day, millions of people pass through the tunnels of the New York City subway — a place defined by motion, rhythm, and noise. But beyond its utilitarian function, the subway has also become one of the city’s most vibrant cultural spaces. Each year, more than 350 performers fill over 40 stations with music and movement, transforming concrete corridors into spontaneous performance halls. This dynamic environment became the spark behind Under, a self-initiated visual project by New York–based designer Lingfei Cao.

At the heart of Under lies a variable typeface created specifically for the New York subway. Lingfei drew inspiration from architectural acoustics and the way sound waves interact with surfaces in performance halls. The resulting letterforms seem to vibrate with energy, translating the invisible movement of sound into a tangible visual rhythm. The typeface is not static — it pulses, bends, and expands, mirroring the sensory experience of hearing live music echo through the tunnels.

The broader visual system extends this concept further. It fuses the subway’s iconic color palette — the saturated hues of its lines and signage — with portraits of performers and graphic patterns generated from sound visualization. Together, these layers create a design language that feels both raw and human, capturing the collision between structure and spontaneity that defines underground performance in New York.

Through Under, Lingfei Cao transforms an everyday urban space into a visual and emotional narrative — one that celebrates the artists who bring rhythm to the city’s veins and the spaces that, unexpectedly, become its cultural heartbeat.

Based in New York, Lingfei Cao is a visual designer specializing in visual identity, illustration, and publication design. Her work often explores the intersection of sound, space, and human experience — turning observation into storytelling through design.

Under by Lingfei Cao: Where Sound Meets Typography in the New York Subway

Every day, millions of people pass through the tunnels of the New York City subway — a place defined by motion, rhythm, and noise. But beyond its utilitarian function, the subway has also become one of the city’s most vibrant cultural spaces. Each year, more than 350 performers fill over 40 stations with music and movement, transforming concrete corridors into spontaneous performance halls. This dynamic environment became the spark behind Under, a self-initiated visual project by New York–based designer Lingfei Cao.

At the heart of Under lies a variable typeface created specifically for the New York subway. Lingfei drew inspiration from architectural acoustics and the way sound waves interact with surfaces in performance halls. The resulting letterforms seem to vibrate with energy, translating the invisible movement of sound into a tangible visual rhythm. The typeface is not static — it pulses, bends, and expands, mirroring the sensory experience of hearing live music echo through the tunnels.

The broader visual system extends this concept further. It fuses the subway’s iconic color palette — the saturated hues of its lines and signage — with portraits of performers and graphic patterns generated from sound visualization. Together, these layers create a design language that feels both raw and human, capturing the collision between structure and spontaneity that defines underground performance in New York.

Through Under, Lingfei Cao transforms an everyday urban space into a visual and emotional narrative — one that celebrates the artists who bring rhythm to the city’s veins and the spaces that, unexpectedly, become its cultural heartbeat.

Based in New York, Lingfei Cao is a visual designer specializing in visual identity, illustration, and publication design. Her work often explores the intersection of sound, space, and human experience — turning observation into storytelling through design.