Factorydesign is one of the world’s leading aviation design agencies. Based in London it’s been part of some of the most iconic cabin designs and has helped shape today’s passenger experience across the globe.
With almost three decades in the industry, I take some time ahead of AIX 2024 to talk with Peter Tennent, one of the directors at the agency.
Peter, can you tell us a little bit about Factorydesign’s history and where your roots lay?
Founded 27 years ago, Factorydesign is a multi-award-winning design agency based in West London, serving the aviation industry, designing cabin interiors and products with years of experience. In short, everything from forks to first class seats. The Directors all served time at Pentagram Design – the unrivalled powerhouse of design consultancy in the eighties and nineties – and some also spent time at Seymour Powell, where there seemed to be no boundaries to three-dimensional design.
Our expert and highly experienced team have evolved over the years from designers with qualifications in product design, automotive and design engineering. While the personal attention we provide is vital, the company was deliberately given a generic name – so many years ago – to support the approach of a focus on the ‘business’ of design not just the ‘personality’.
Successful implementation of design requires a careful balance between design purity, commercial reality and an understanding of our customers’ business and brand ambitions. Design can only make an impact on business if it goes to market, and we pride ourselves on negotiating and managing the complex journey from design ambition all the way through to implementation.
Sounds like an epic legacy, can you tell us a little bit about the brands you have worked with in the past, anything we would know?
Our work has taken us all over the world, working for airlines from start-ups to the biggest in the industry, as well as supporting the supply chain network designing products. Some previous customers include British Airways, Etihad Airways, China Eastern, LATAM, Qatar Airways, Scandinavian Airlines, and Jet Zero.
What brands have you worked with most recently
We pride ourselves on the fact that many of our customers are brands (and people) we have worked with for many years. We strive to establish long-term relationships with our clients, where the ongoing and embedded delivery of design services, plus the business and personal relationships we build, all serve to help make the programs we work on efficient, effective and enjoyable. Well, nearly all… ongoing and long-term customers include : Delta Air Lines, Singapore Airlines, Thompson Aero Seating, Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic, Jiatai, Ipeco Holdings, and Deutsche Aircraft.
