Pittsburgh Wayfinder: East End & Bigelow Blvd. T-Shirt Design
This t-shirt showcases the iconic design of the Pittsburgh Wayfinder signage system, specifically featuring the East End and Bigelow Boulevard directional sign. The design pays homage to the city's unique wayfinding initiative, created in the mid-1990s to help navigate Pittsburgh's complex street layout.
Visual Elements & Meaning
The artwork replicates the key elements of the "Exit-Finder" sign. A prominent dark-blue background is employed to distinguish this design from typical highway signage.
The most significant component is the orange section denoting the East End. The use of orange signifies that the destination is in the color-coded East End region. "Bigelow Blvd." is clearly written within the design, indicating the direction towards this major road, which leads into or resides within the East End.
The design may also incorporate a stylized "map" symbol on some signs, represented by dark blue lines representing the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers.
Symbolism
This design celebrates the Pittsburgh Wayfinder system's purpose. It uses consistent signs showing key districts, major roads, and destinations to improve the navigation for drivers and help them build mental maps of the city and its neighborhoods.
The color-coded regions, the directional arrows and the dark-blue background and the "map" symbol are all symbols of consistent wayfinding across the city.
