As airlines look to elevate the passenger experience and differentiate their brand environments, designers are drawing inspiration from across various industries.
From integrated lighting to personalized seating environments, the aesthetic and technological cues that once defined premium automotive interiors are now influencing the cabin interiors of tomorrow. For aviation interior designers, this shift towards more human-centered design is creating exciting new opportunities to reimagine the in-flight experience.
Parallel Goals, Converging Solutions
The automotive and aviation industries share many of the same design imperatives: manufacturing efficiency, passenger comfort, intuitive interaction, and safety. However, the automotive industry has historically outpaced the aviation industry in adopting customer-centric design at scale. High-end vehicles now offer personalized ambient lighting, biometric climate control, integrated color, material, and finish (CMF) experiences, and modular seating – all designed to anticipate and elevate the passenger journey.
In aviation, these innovations are beginning to take shape. As aircraft interiors evolve, the influence of recent automotive design is becoming unmistakable.
While today’s savvy passenger may compare their flying experience on one airline to another, they are more likely to compare it to the high-tech features they enjoy on a daily basis in their car or smart home. As a result, aviation designers are responding by developing more intuitive interfaces, personalization options, and emotionally resonant spaces.
Translating Roadside Innovation to Runway Reality
So how does automotive design translate into the aircraft cabin?
- Material Expression & CMF Strategy
The automotive industry excels at CMF storytelling. From contrast stitching and brushed metals to ambient lighting and personalized trim levels, every detail reinforces brand identity. In aviation, CMF is becoming just as essential. By using advanced technology like Infused Imaging™ and decorative textures on KYDEX® Thermoplastics, aviation designers can create exceptional aesthetics with more thoughtful sensory details that connect positively with passengers while providing essential performance and durability.
- Passenger Zoning & Spatial Hierarchy
In automotive design, even compact vehicles are being designed to feel more spacious and ergonomic. These principles are making their way into cabin class segmentation, with airlines rethinking personal space and flow using lighting, form, and finish to create perceptual zones. - Smart Surfaces & Sensory Experiences
Haptic feedback, responsive lighting, and seamless interface design are defining features in premium car interiors. Aviation is catching up through smart cabin elements that integrate functionality with tactile aesthetics – such as integral special effects or embedded technology. Keep an eye out for gesture control in the future!
The Power of Collaboration and Prototyping
The adoption of automotive principles in aviation isn’t just about aesthetic trends – it’s about a shift in the design process. Automotive teams are known for rapid prototyping and CMF testing early in the design cycle – an approach aviation designers can now equal through partnerships with innovation centers like the SEKISUI KYDEX designLab® and appLab™.
With digital tools, interior designers can iterate and visualize design ideas quickly – reducing the time from concept to specification and enabling more agile collaboration with airlines and suppliers.
A Shared Path Forward
As both industries work toward sustainability, personalization, and seamless technology integration, the convergence between automotive and aviation design will only accelerate. Aviation designers are not just looking to automotive for inspiration – they’re redefining what it means to create a cohesive, elevated passenger experience at every altitude.
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