Women holding smart phone while seated next to a window in an airplane

The power of personalization.

Panasonic | Waterfront Seat

Evolving the passenger experience.

As smartphones became the center of people's everyday lives and aircraft connectivity became increasingly more reliable, Panasonic Avionics challenged Teague, Formation Design Group, and Collins Aerospace to design and deliver a new, integrated seating product that could bring on-the-ground consumer expectations into the onboard passenger experience.

APPROACH

Prototyping physical & digital.

With Teague focused on the Waterfront digital experience, and Formation Design Group responsible for the physical design of the seat, the team began with an extensive research activity involving passengers and potential airline customers to solicit inputs and further understand user behavior. Studies previously conducted on Collins Aerospace’s Jazz Seat, also designed by Teague, helped inform the comfort and shape of the seat cushion while prototyping both physical and digital design at scale allowed the team to experience the product first-hand and quickly iterate toward a solution in which comfort and convenience work together.

Two women sitting at a table sketching design concepts

Airline app and inflight entertainment user interface greeting

SOLUTION

Tailored for every passenger.

Teague’s primary role was centered on the Waterfront digital experience, including the design of a companion app, supplied in-seat tablet interface, and remote control.

From their personal device, passengers can control the in-flight entertainment system, as well as order food and beverages directly to their seat. Keeping frequent flyers top of mind, the app keeps track of any food, drink, or viewing preferences from previous flights. Passengers can also adjust the seat recline, temperature settings, and change the seat lighting to their personal taste.

As passengers approach their destination, the app provides gate, baggage claim, and car rental information along with a reminder to remove personal items; the main storage compartment includes a sensor that triggers an on-screen alert if anything is left behind.

Achieved through close collaboration with our design and manufacturing partners, the physical and digital experience work in perfect harmony to offer a new level of personalization.

Airline app and inflight entertainment user interface movie selection

Airline user interface for seat controls

Airline app and inflight entertainment user interface destination greeting

RESULT

First-class features.

The award-winning Waterfront seat allows airlines to offer features previously only available in First Class to the higher-density environment of Business Class. Beyond weight savings and a reduction in part count, Waterfront further benefits airlines by collecting the data exchanged between the seat and hand-held device—opening up the potential for new business models and revenue streams all while improving the passenger experience through personalization.