5 minute read
In conversation: FORMIA
36 / IN CONVERSATION
Collaborative creation
BEN READ AND MARISA PITSCH
The FORMIA creative team is putting sustainability at the forefront of its amenity kit production. April Waterston discovers how
Sustainability is increasingly touching every product so I asked Ben Read, creative director, and Marisa Pitsch, chief customer experience officer, to explain its role in the creative process.
Q. Tell us your route to our
industry?
B : Prior to joining FORMIA, I was already working in the amenities and comfort items industry and had worked on high profile and award-winning projects for clients such as Cathay Pacific and Emirates.
My background is in analysing and forecasting trends in consumer behaviour, demographics, fashion and beauty, and translating these trends into inspired designs for the world of retail beauty.
Today, airlines are more and more inspired by consumer and retail trends and these inform their amenity programmes, so a significant part of our design process leans on our research and analysis of global passenger profiles and mirrors the process of trend analysis for retail. M : I have a background in consulting and crafting award-winning experiences designed to transform airlines to world class and hotels to five-star. I’m privileged to have worked with airlines such as Etihad Airways and Qatar Airlines and hotels such as the Savoy London, the Kempinski Group and the Taj Group. My passion lies in creating considered strategy touching all elements of a customer experience.
Together, Ben and I bring humancentered, experience-led thinking to the design process.
Q. Run us through your design
process and how you bring ideas to life for your clients?
B : We take a tailored approach to design which starts with understanding our clients’ requirements and aspirations. We undertake intensive research to select the most relevant
brands which align with the airlines’ DNA, values and communities.
We also consider regional and demographic consumer insights, sustainability and wellness priorities, and aim to create maximum perceived value, to budget. M : It is a fully collaborative process with the creation and sharing of designs and concepts so everyone involved feels engaged and passionate throughout the process.
We believe it’s crucial to experience the product first-hand just as the passenger will, so from the initial conversations through to production, a key part of the process is seeing and feeling the materials and experiencing the reusable functionality of a kit.
Q. What design trends are you
currently excited about?
B : We are excited by the airlines' increased desire to see sustainability translated into amenities. This means more innovative materials and a shift in the design approach and process to ensure greater good for our planet and for communities.
Wellness is another very interesting trend now gaining momentum postpandemic. It challenges airlines to think beyond the hard product like lighting and comfort in the cabin, to look more closely at product ingredients, engaging the senses, sleep quality and how you continue to incorporate aspects and lifestyle routines across the journey. These are all becoming part of the amenity kit mix now.
Finally, the notion of ‘radical reform’ is impaortant - current global, social and cultural influences and how they have impact people, communities and everyday lives. People’s priorities are changing, there have been dynamic shifts in thinking all influencing consumers and inspiring design.
Q. What are the most impactful
ways to incorporate sustainability into a product?
B : Sustainability has to be integrated into the fabric of products through conscious design, responsible supply chains and meaningful partnerships. M : We view ourselves as part of the airlines’ value chain and with every project, we challenge ourselves to design products with as little carbon footprint as possible and with circularity in mind. This includes curating materials that have less impact in the production phase, can be recycled, or have recycled content, and include a high take-home appeal to extend their lifespan.
FORMIA is on a path to become a net-zero carbon company and offers net-zero carbon amenities. We have recently completed our first Life Cycle Impact Analysis, measuring the impact of an amenity kit from raw material extraction to the end of life process. The results enable us to assess the environmental impact of different criteria and can support airlines with their own net-zero targets.
Q. What is most important to airlines when it comes to sustainability in their kits?
B : The biggest impact on amenity kits comes from the choice of materials which consider overall environmental impact, recyclability and reusability. M : We also see increased focus on the social element, with efforts to support connected communities, as well as transparency in all elements of the production processes. We are on a journey to drive positive change for people and the planet, and our aim is to bring about further datadriven change and measurable impacts to help achieve ambitious targets for both ourselves and our airline clients. •
IN CONVERSATION / 37IN CONVERSATION / 37
Ben Read, creative director (pictured above), and Marisa Pitsch, chief customer experience officer (pictured below) are integral members of FORMIA's creative team.
