^{Not an image – but an actual live FIDS screen.}

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When Pittsburgh International unveiled its $1.7 billion terminal in November 2025, it included a redesigned Flight Information Display System as part of its wayfinding overhaul.

As FIDS Product Lead, I guided this project from research through implementation—conducting user surveys and running airside testing with live flight data streamed into animated Figma prototypes. This let us validate designs in realistic conditions before screens were implemented.

We did a few things differently: flights are sorted by departure time rather than destination, and gate pylons show airlines and destinations prominently alongside gate and codeshare data. When screens aren't displaying flight data, they showcase local photography.

A key design decision was replacing traditional airline logos with stylized tailfin icons. Logos vary wildly in shape, color density, and legibility at a distance—tailfins create visual consistency across carriers while remaining instantly recognizable. This unified approach makes the board far easier to scan when you're searching for your flight.

Subtle animations reinforce the experience. Codeshare flight numbers rotate through on a gentle cycle, ensuring passengers catch all relevant flight codes without cluttering the display. An animated paging timer gives visual feedback on when the board will advance, and smooth page-slide transitions keep the experience calm rather than jarring—critical for reducing stress in an airport environment.

The core goal was reducing passenger stress. By making flight times, boarding info, and changes immediately scannable, travelers feel confident enough to step away and explore the terminal—boosting both their experience and retail engagement across the concourse.

To bring this design to life as an interactive demo, I used Claude Code to translate the Figma prototype into a working web application. Built with Lit web components and Vite, the app faithfully recreates the FIDS display with custom components for flight rows, status indicators, codeshare information, and the distinctive header/footer elements—all pulling live data from an API just as the airport screens do.

Read more about the renovation and FIDS project:

• ‍Today Show: Inside Look at the US Airports Getting Billion-Dollar Makeovers
• The Points Guy: Pittsburgh's sleek $1.7B new terminal directs flyers with futuristic new signage
• Airport Architecture: The signage (r)evolution [Paywalled]

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