Project Overview

 From uncomfortable seating and stressful waits at the airport, to mysterious bumps and noises in flight, there are a plethora of non-emergency reasons why any single person or family might have a genuinely stressful air travel experience. While these uncomfortable experiences may seem benign on the surface, they can accumulate over time, leading to serious consequences, such as extreme cases of aviophobia. Aviophobia is a fear of flying so intense that the individual experiences increased heart rate and blood pressure, hyperventilation, and panic attacks. This fear can become so extreme that the individuals choose not to fly and become increasingly isolated from friends and family. The recent increase in serious incidents of air rage is another extreme outcome of passenger discomfort, usually arising from passenger frustrations resulting from unmet expectations. This phenomenon is exemplified by passengers becoming unruly and aggressive and even interfering with the safety and security of the flight and other passengers, incidents resulting in criminal and civil lawsuits.

This report recounts my journey exploring ways to mitigate discomfort and improve the air travel experience for the average traveler. I undertook three design investigations to better understand and relieve the physical, psychological, and emotional discomfort associated with air travel. I identified the main causes of these discomforts while traveling by undertaking conversations with experts and gathering accounts of passenger experiences. Three overarching projects emerged, requiring me to work between three discrete design disciplines: a furniture design project aimed at easing physical discomfort, a project entitled Economy of Agency, aimed at addressing psychological discomfort, and In-Flight, aimed at improving emotional discomfort. Each project addresses the question: how might design incrementally improve the experience of air travel for all passengers.