When we first sat down for this project my thought process took me back to my trip to Paris and seeing the Notre Dame being brought back to life after the fire engulfed its roof. I couldn't help, but to think about how captivating the construction privacy banner was as you walked around this monument. The construction banner didn't feature company logo's and a digital mock up of what the finished product may look like, this construction banner in Paris told a story about the history of Notre Dame up to the point of the fire. It was designed as one large story with illustrations and QR codes to access the english version of each paragraph. I observed visitor who were disappointed they weren't able to enjoy Notre Dame, but the construction banner is what kept them around a little longer; and thats what I wanted to achieve with my construction vinyls. Captivating, full of history and stops people in their tracks.
Prior to this project I had created a mobile site background that my Art Director suggested I'd use for the window banners, I obliged. This background was a play on construction blueprints, but instead I named it "The Pitt Blueprint". It feature the lines, shapes, dotted lines and small writing that blueprint does, but the shapes were stylistic and the writing were small easter eggs about Pitt's history.
Original "Pitt Blueprint Design"
Common blueprint used in construction.
Original mock up concept.
Once the look and design of the vinyls was locked in I then went on to do some research and collect all of the data I'd need for the content within the blueprint. The vinyls don't necessarily tell a chronological history of the University of Pittsburgh, but it's more like an illustrative journey along the path of Pittsburgh highlighting known and unknown facts and figures about the university. The "Pitt Blueprint" design includes numbers of famous players who went on to become NFL hall of famers, important academic years to the university, architects of some of their most famous structures, illustrative silhouettes of some of the universities famous structures. The design features key figures in medicine such as Dr. Thomas Starzl and Dr. Jonas Salk, 3rd street and cherry alley, the address to the universities first building. My mission was to make these viny banners thought provoking, eye catching , and full of knowledge to keep the viewer researching and reading long after they've viewed the banners walking down fifth avenue.
I used a very loose illustrative style creating incomplete but interesting vectors.
Here I used an old quote by the architect of this structure, Dahlen Ritchey , when describing the Litchfeild Towers. I wanted to make words and history just as important as shapes that make up images. It's all apart of the design.
This specific design highlights Maggie and Stella Stein, the first female graduates of the University of Pittsburgh. They started in 1895 and graduated in 1901.
John and Gertrude Petersen donated $10 million dollars toward building the Petersen Events center a.k.a. The Pete. Doc Carlson was the coach who lead Pitt basketball to prominence.
I did three different football graphics. Changing the color of the silhouette and adding different numbers representing legendary Pitt athletes who went on to become great NFL players. #25 is Curtis Martin, #13 is Dan Marino, McCoy is a reference to Lesean McCoy.
The University of Pitt flips the switch to the victory lights to cap off a winning night in Pitt sports.
Truth & Virtue; Pitts motto.
5th & S Bellefield Ave, the location of the famous Heinz memorial Chapel, named and built in honor of Anna Margaretta Heinz. Charles Klauder was the architect of this amazing structure.
The banners have caused quite a stir at the universitiy and has put me "on the map" amongst my colleagues. This was a basic opportunity that has been optimized in the best way possible. As I type the renovation of the University Store on Fifth has not yet been complete and the banners still hang.
