The Future of Travel: How Design is Shaping Travel Experiences
As the days grow longer and the temperatures rise, our minds naturally turn to our summer adventures. The prospect of an open summer is tantalizing yet requires more consideration than ever before. Travel has changed, from the pandemic’s challenges and restrictions to our shifting mindset towards more sustainable ways to get away.
In the evolving travel market, brand equity — a brand’s value in the eyes of consumers — and design hold significant sway. Factors such as reputation, trustworthiness, and quality of experience/customer centricity have become even more critical when selecting a travel partner.
Several airlines have unveiled rebrands that reflect a broader shift towards catering to diverse traveler preferences, such as Mucho’s rebrand of Aeroméxico to celebrate 90 years and redefine itself as a symbol of Mexican excellence. Yet, as Roshita Thomas recently wrote about Air India, some rebrands falter in capturing the cultural nuances necessary for authenticity and resonance. In a competitive industry, maintaining brand equity requires more than just a fresh coat of paint. Airlines must prioritize safety, reliability, and customer satisfaction to fortify trust and withstand market pressures. Travelers today wield greater control and awareness than ever before. You see this play out in marketplace innovations stemming from Boeing’s notorious challenges, as evidenced by the ability to filter aircraft models on booking platforms like Kayak and Expedia.
An emerging travel industry narrative seeks to answer the trouble with planes and consumers’ concerns in these strange, uncertain times. Companies like Airbnb are transcending boundaries and blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. Airbnb “Icons,” recently highlighted by Charlotte Beach, exemplify this shift towards highly curated, immersive, unforgettable experiences.
With all the recent turbulence in the travel sector, I was excited to chat with Doug Powell, the former vice president of Design Practice Management at Expedia. Powell is an executive design leader, consultant, lecturer, and global thought leader on design issues. We discussed the future of travel and how design and design thinking are helping to shape it.
Our conversation is below (edited for length and clarity).
