INDUSTR Y I NSIGHT
consultancies’ designs and the seat vendors’ designs are often not aligned
and need a significant amount of re-validation to get back on track.
All of these issues send huge shockwaves through the rest of the
project, and into the product when it’s in service, often for a decade or so.
However, the situation isn’t quite as depressing as it sounds, as most
designers enjoy making pitches. Although hard work, they’re invigorating
for the team, and can be fun. However, the financial stress is felt by the
studio’s management first, and ultimately by the whole company as there
is less money to spread around. Ultimately though, it’s the passengers
who don’t get the best experience possible from the situation, and any
new project should be an opportunity to improve aviation.
The practice of unpaid pitches isn’t limited to design agencies of
course, as vendors and even airframers are often solicited to make similar
unpaid pitches. The difference is these companies have an end-product
to sell, with repeat business and aftersales worth far more than the oneoff
design fees. These benefits don’t make unpaid pitching acceptable,
but they do make it far less painful in terms of risk versus reward.
Was it always like this? Over the years, expectations have been raised.
There was a time when a sketch on a napkin showing a good idea could
win a big job; nowadays you have to deliver amazing ideas, depicted
in photoreal cabin renderings. The less experienced parties believe that
designers are happy to produce 3D CAD renderings for fun, without
seeing the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, the all-nighters
to finish the CAD, the detail needed for the CMF schemes, and the
Photoshop work on top of that. Again, all of this favours agencies that
can dedicate more people to the job. Inspiration isn’t enough – it must be
presented in beautiful glossy images. Added to which designs with true
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
056 MARCH 2020
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
John Tighe is an expert user experience and
innovation design consultant. His company,
NuUX, works across aviation and automotive,
specialising in the cross-pollination of ideas
between these complementary industries. His
experience comes from working for most of
the value chain for airlines and aircraft interior
manufacturers, and design consultancy for
automotive OEMs and aviation.
novelty and real commercial benefit are
often either compromised due to a tight
deadline, or dismissed as the pitch isn’t
sufficiently glossy.
Another influential factor is the
increased involvement of procurement
departments in pitches, which are
generally more familiar with buying
commodities. That is a difficult challenge
for airlines to overcome, but it is solvable.
To be fair to airlines and vendors,
many designers fight just to be ‘chosen’ for
the opportunity to participate in unpaid
pitches, which sends a message that the
process is fine, but the problem is then
self-perpetuating. This is what happens
when any industry gets stuck in a rut.
I propose we begin an industry
dialogue on this vital topic, though it
will need a good proportion of us to pull
together to solve the problem. There are
lots of positive changes we could work
on, and some challenges which will need
work, particularly in the IP area. Like
so many things in life, the first step is
to recognise that we have a problem…
Read more
of John Tighe’s
thoughts in
his column
on p15
ABOVE: PREPARING DESIGN
PITCHES CAN INVOLVE
HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF
EFFORT FOR AGENCIES
“Any new project should be seen as
an opportunity to improve aviation”
© MICHAELJBERLIN - STOCK.ADOBE.COM
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