Designing for Accessibility in Flight
2023 - 2025, COLLINS AEROSPACE & BIG DREAMS STUDIO
Over a few years at Big Dreams Studio, I had the chance to partner with Collins to conceptualize, design and produce key elements of the MAYA™ concept business class seat: the ADAPT™ user interface that supports passenger experience, and the Galley.ai system that enhances crew efficiency, communications, and streamlines service delivery. The resulting work has won two Crystal Cabin Awards and one honorable mention at the Aircraft Expo in Hamburg, Germany.
Team
Kit Son Lee (Design Lead), Arvind Bhallamudi (Strategy Lead + Design), Pheonix Gao (Design), Laila Aukee (Design Director), Jae Yoon Myung (Design Lead), Alyssa Bishop (Strategy Director), Jack Lenk (Production), Nick Scappaticci (Founder)
Role
Conducted research and analysis, supported the design team on accessibility settings, and developed a 2.0 of the UI architecture of the passenger and crew applications.
Focus Areas
Experience Design
App Design
Brand Identity
Interface Design
Data Visualization
Engagement Strategy
Project Vision
When Collins invited us to envision the possibilities in a digitally-enabled cabin environment, we worked jointly to define a product & service strategy with distinct value propositions for passengers, crew and maintenance. By focusing on human benefits first we were able to gain clarity on the 'why', which in turn gave purpose and reason to the 'what' and the 'how' that technology could solve. Our investigation objectives spanned three categories:
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Make the cabin experience more personalized, integrated and inclusive for everyone.
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Assist flight crews in managing and delivering services using sensor data and predictive analytics.
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Optimize operations for efficiency and sustainability based on hardware monitoring and service data.
Sketch.1 Brainstorming functional requirements during takeoff, mid-flight, and landing.
Re-Approaching Previous Work
This work from 2023 used scenario-based storytelling and visually and functionally accurate and accessible interface design to prototype use cases for InteliSence™, an AI/ML system that anticipates passenger meal and service requests in real time, and set the foundation for building additional service features on it. A functional prototype of this system won a 2023 Crystal Cabin Award in the Passenger Comfort category.
We used this to work through an iterative design process supported continuous research and feedback to evolve the technology solutions, now focusing on accessibility and clarity, in concert with other cabin interior components.
Designing for Accessibility on Flights (ADAPT)
In 2024, I focused my contributions on personalization of the passenger experience through the ADAPT™ system, empowering travelers to enjoy a range of mobility, sensory, cognitive and language accommodations through this platform. Big Dreams Studio partnered with the Institute for Human Centered Design to provide subject matter expertise on inclusive design and accessibility of the user interface. This helped us go beyond baseline legibility standards, to consider issues of cognitive complexity, the effects of color and lighting on stress management, and practical implementation of American Sign Language interpretation.
This of course is paired with accessibility recommendations in legibility, color contrast, large icons, and flows that support intuitive, convenient interactions and experiences.
John Morris, accessible travel advocate and founder of wheelchairtravel.org, advised on designing solutions for people with mobility issues and age related difficulties, where digital platforms and systems in current spaces need to support physical service delivery.
Screen.1-9 Interface for crew application to manage and service passenger requests.
Revamped Crew Application Design (ADAPT)
The crew application from Intellisense had be subsequently updated with new UI systems for accessibility features and service requests, and consolidated with the visual language of passenger application to create a single brand identity.
Galley Management System (galley.ai)
The latest version, in 2025, Collins Aerospace galley.ai, further enhances crew efficiency and passenger communication by using AI-driven galley management and sensor systems to streamline onboard meal service preparation, monitor equipment safety and maintenance issues, and improve flight experiences. Our studio partnered with OCTO Product Development to build a functioning prototype that integrates galley equipment, crew tools, and cabin interfaces, along with the passenger communication platform. The system tracks orders and inventory in real time, enables dynamic service updates, and provides direct information to passengers throughout the flight.
"We're essentially creating an intelligent assistant that works alongside cabin crew to streamline their most demanding tasks," explains Jeff McKee, who leads the Customer Experience Design group. "The goal is to create a smoother and more effective work environment for crew."
Galley.ai won the 2025 Crystal Cabin Award in the Cabin Technologies category. “The jury was particularly impressed by the ability of galley.ai to integrate multiple information streams, system modules and components, harnessing AI in a way that lowers crew workload.” — Angus Baigent, Crystal Cabin Award
Img.2,3 Aircraft galley and inventory section, equipped with camera sensing and automation.
Multimedia and Communications Plan
Balancing creative writing with technical information was done in parallel with the assisting the design team with layouts, visual graphics, imagery and interactions. The communications strategy and website were refined, tested and launched in June 2024.
