Revolve

Business Class Seating

Student Sponsored project with SAFRAN GROUP and ArtCenter College of Design

Introduction

Revolve business class seat was designed to create an ideal sense of privacy and comfort. One major challenge currently facing aircraft seating manufacturers is creating a uniquely comfortable and private flight experience while offering airlines the maximum number of seats possible. My solution was designed to bring uniquely new value to both the passenger as well as the airline.

Process

This project was a sponsored project with SAFRAN GROUP to explore the future of airline travel. We were given the constraints that we must fit 28 seat within a Boing787 business cabin.

Phase 1: Getting Smart

In order to get a better understanding of the ins and outs of the airline industry as well as stakeholders to consider, I began creating a keyword list and doing a rapid scan on the internet to find relevant information, articles, news, projections, and the current state of the art. We met with the sponsors each week in order to receive feedback and develop a vision for what we might design.

In addition to meeting with our sponsor, I interviewed variety of individuals with experience in flying business class with the intention of understanding their values in choosing a flight as well as conscious pains and frustrations they have encountered. I also seek to get a sense of the unconscious factors impacting the overall experience.

Phase 2: Divergent Iteration

The research phase helped to refine my direction and establish a vision of what I wanted to achieve in a design. I determined that a sense of enclosure and privacy play a large role in a passengers feeling of comfort and safety. Within that direction I began to explore a variety of forms that would meet the sponsors requirements as well as to be a leap forward in value for the passenger and airline.

I began hand sketching, and digital modeling to rapidly test different ideas and forms that might work. I also created physical models to experience firsthand how the seat width, isle width and enclosure of space might actually feel.

Phase 3: Converging Ideas to Solution

After exploring a variety of form options that fit the project constraints, I discovered that a cylindrical pod would fit the required number of seats as well as allow a passenger to fully extend to a flat sleeping position. This shape makes it possible to rotate around a central axis that allows the passenger to enclose overhead panels as well as a hidden slotted door to enclose their space.