Shaping the skies above

Edmond Huot shares his opinions on how the pursuit and exploration of airline branding and livery design influences the experiences and perceptions of passengers around the world.

Edmond Huot

Airline livery design plays a surprisingly important role in shaping the passenger experience and influencing perceptions of airlines. Beyond aesthetic appeal, liveries serve as a visual representation of the airline’s identity and brand values. It contributes to the overall ambiance and professionalism perceived by travellers, impacting their initial impressions and sense of safety and reliability. Livery design also serves practical functions, such as enhancing visibility and recognition in crowded airports and during emergencies. For passengers, spotting familiar liveries can evoke a sense of familiarity, nostalgia or excitement, while innovative designs can competitively differentiate a modern and forward-thinking airline. Ultimately, livery design plays a significant role in the industry’s market landscape, influencing customer loyalty and brand affinity worldwide.

As chief creative officer and partner at Forward Studio, a multi disciplinary branding and design company, Edmond Huot has spent more than 30 years helping shape a bold creative outlook for a range of companies in the b2b and b2c space. In 2019, he and his business partner, Peter Clark decided to pivot the practice’s focus around an area of shared passion revolving around branding and PR for airlines and travel companies. Today Forward Studio is helping steward and shape the images of a range of start-ups and midsize airline operations as well as the notable industry trailblazers who lead them.

Huot shares his personal and professional thoughts on a range of issues relating to his journey and creative process and the power of livery design on airlines’ passengers.

Q: What inspires Huot in his work, and how does this outlook influence today’s discerning traveller?

A: Huot’s inspiration stems from his lifelong passion for commercial aviation, the travel experience, and the customer journey. Often he will look to the past for nuggets of inspiration and nostalgia. In many ways, travellers today connect with modern designs in part because of their inherent notions and early childhood memories. Air travel is universally recognised and celebrated to the point now that it has become somewhat innocuous. By extracting certain motifs and themes from the past and reimagining them in a new, fresh context, liveries can transcend and inspire once again.

Q: How does livery design enhance the flying experience?

A: Airline livery design plays a crucial role in shaping the passenger experience and influencing perceptions of airlines. Beyond aesthetic appeal, a livery scheme serves as a visual representation of the airline’s identity and brand values. It contributes to the overall ambiance and professionalism perceived by travellers, impacting their initial impressions and sense of safety and reliability. Livery design also serves practical functions, such as enhancing visibility and recognition in crowded airports and during emergencies. For passengers, spotting familiar liveries can evoke a sense of familiarity or excitement, while innovative designs can competitively position a modern and forward-thinking airline.

Ultimately, livery design plays a significant role in the airline industry’s competitive landscape, influencing customer loyalty and brand differentiation worldwide. Livery design plays a crucial role in shaping the flying experience by combining creativity, cultural sensitivity, and practical design. Huot’s work in airline branding demonstrates how thoughtful design can enhance travel, creating brands that resonate deeply with customers and communities, making the journey about experiencing a brand’s story.

Q: How are conceptual designs turned into reality in a way that resonates with the travelling public?

A: Huot balances abstract thinking with linear execution, emphasising the importance of the client’s business challenges and the collaborative approach. His strategy involves being imaginative in the conceptual phase, analytical in the design phase and practical in the production phase. Thorough research, asking questions and listening to client needs are essential to ensure the final product meets aesthetic and functional goals. Ultimately, this staged approach yields designs and programs that both intrigue the travelling public. His designs are fresh and tend to veer away from the typical. Passengers today are looking for two aspects of the brand: clarity and surprise. Liveries that stand out from the sea of sameness provide such clarity and freshness. Distinctive branding elements and graphic cues help to provide those vital and unexpected moments of surprise and charm.

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