Concept development
Branding and Identity
Customer Experience
Wayfinding and Signage
Brand concept playbook
Project Management and Coordination
Reimagining Scandinavian airlines as an air travel company for the Travel class. A complete customer journey transformation from digital booking to land side check in, air side lounges and on-board experience. The new concept encompasses a reconnection to Scandinavian core values through contemporary simplistic design, and a shift to a seamless self-serve customer journeys enhanced by cutting-edge airline travel technology.
The redesigned Scandinavian Airlines concept has successfully repositioned the airline as a preferred choice for frequent travelers, irrespective of their purpose of travel. The incorporation of state-of-the-art self-serve technology has streamlined the customer journey, saving time and providing a hassle-free experience. By reconnecting with Scandinavian core values through contemporary design and an informal tone of voice, the airline has created a distinct brand identity that resonates with passengers, fostering loyalty and enhancing the overall travel experience.
Discover how Blink the design agency transformed Scandinavian Airlines. The new concept shifts the focus from being solely a business-oriented airline to becoming an air travel company that caters to frequent travelers, whether they are traveling for business or leisure. The transformation encompasses state-of-the-art self-serve airline travel technology, a reconnection to Scandinavian core values through contemporary design, and an informal tone of voice.
Scandinavian Airlines' new concept caters to the needs of frequent travelers, acknowledging that they may travel for both business and leisure. The repositioning ensures that the airline provides a comprehensive air travel experience that meets the diverse requirements of this customer segment. From enhanced amenities and services to flexible booking options, Scandinavian Airlines has become the go-to choice for frequent travelers seeking a seamless journey.
To enhance the customer experience, Scandinavian Airlines incorporates cutting-edge self-serve airline travel technology. Self-check-in kiosks, automated bag drop systems, and mobile boarding passes streamline the check-in process, allowing travelers to navigate the airport with ease. By embracing these advanced solutions, Scandinavian Airlines ensures efficiency and convenience for their customers, reducing wait times and enhancing the overall travel experience.
Scandinavian Airlines' redesign centers around reconnecting with its Scandinavian core values. Through simplistic contemporary Scandinavian design, the airline embraces minimalism, functionality, and natural elements that reflect the region's aesthetic sensibilities. This design approach creates a calming and harmonious atmosphere, fostering a sense of tranquility throughout the customer journey.
Scandinavian Airlines also adopts an informal tone of voice to establish a more approachable and personal connection with its passengers. The airline's communication style is friendly, warm, and engaging, making travelers feel welcomed and valued. By adopting a conversational approach, Scandinavian Airlines establishes a unique brand identity that resonates with its target audience.
The core problem was an identity crisis rooted in outdated segmentation. For years, the airline industry has treated "Business" and "Leisure" travelers as two different species. But the modern world is messier than that. The consultant flying to London on Tuesday is the same person flying to Mallorca with their family on Friday. SAS was suffering from a rigid, corporate-heavy format that felt sterile to vacationers and clunky to modern commuters.
Furthermore, the physical and digital realms were fighting each other. The app promised speed, but the airport experience delivered queues. As store interior design specialists translating our skills to aviation, we identified that the "storefront" (the airport and cabin) was failing to convert passengers into loyalists. The challenge was clear: How do we turn a disjointed logistical process into a seamless, high-touch brand journey without slowing down the operation?
“The contemporary Scandinavian design elements created a sleek and calming ambiance throughout the journey. I felt like I was truly experiencing the essence of Scandinavia”
— Emily M, traveler
Our mapping of user journeys revealed that the "Frequent Traveler" is the true demographic, regardless of why they are flying. This user values time above all else but craves comfort when the rush stops. They don’t want to be treated like a suit one day and a backpacker the next. They expect a consistent, premium baseline.
Data from store audits (or in this case, terminal audits) showed that anxiety spikes at transition points: bag drops, security, and boarding gates. Passengers were spending too much mental energy on process and not enough on experience. In the world of retail concept design in the Nordics, we know that if a customer is stressed, they aren't connecting with the brand.
In a noisy, chaotic world, the true value of Scandinavia is its calm. Interviews revealed that travelers didn't want more "shouting" from the brand; they wanted visual silence. They associated 'Scandinavian' with breathing room, natural materials, and simplicity—assets SAS was underutilizing in favor of generic corporate blue.
From Strategy to Execution
Our strategy was to treat the entire travel arc—from the first click on the app to the final sip of coffee at 30,000 feet—as a single, unified service retail environment. As a top-tier retail design agency in Sweden, we know that great retail is about flow.
We pivoted the brand positioning from "The Business Airline" to "The Airline for the Experienced Traveler." This allowed us to deploy a "high-tech, high-touch" strategy. We utilized technology to strip away the boring administrative tasks (check-in, tagging bags) so that the human interactions could be warmer and more meaningful. We aimed to democratize the premium feel, using design to make economy feel smarter and business class feel more human. It was about creating a "Service Retail" playbook that functioned as a living, breathing ecosystem.
Hallmark of Scandinavian retail design experts.
This is where the magic happened. We moved away from the sterile, industrial aesthetic typical of airports and introduced a warm, domestic sensibility.
Spatial Layout & Customer Flow
We reconfigured the land-side experience to mimic the efficiency of a well-planned self-checkout but with the elegance of a hotel lobby. By implementing state-of-the-art self-serve bag drops and check-in towers, we removed physical barriers. This "unmanned retail" approach reduced queues, allowing staff to roam freely and assist passengers, changing the dynamic from "processing" to "hosting."
Materials & Sustainability Choices
You can’t fake Nordic authenticity. We utilized a palette deeply rooted in nature: light ash woods, slate-toned stones, and textiles that beg to be touched. In the cabins and lounges, we replaced synthetic, shiny surfaces with matte finishes that absorb light rather than reflecting it. Sustainability wasn't a buzzword; it was woven into the carpets and seat fabrics, reducing weight (and fuel consumption) while increasing comfort.
Lighting & Atmosphere
Lighting is the unsung hero of store interior design specialists. We developed a lighting concept that shifts with the phases of the journey. Crisp, cool light at the self-service kiosks to encourage efficiency and clarity; warmer, amber tones in the lounges and cabins to induce relaxation. It creates a subconscious signal to the brain: "You are safe. Relax."
Digital-Touchpoint Integration
We redesigned the digital interface to mirror the physical signage. The font, the tone of voice, and the visual hierarchy on the mobile boarding pass match the wayfinding in the lounge perfectly. The "Informal Tone of Voice" we developed—friendly, witty, and direct—replaced the robotic "airline speak," making the app feel like a helpful travel companion rather than a gatekeeper.
Visual Merchandising & Lounges
We treated the lounges as flagship stores. Instead of rows of identical seats, we created micro-zones: social hubs for networking, quiet nooks for reading, and dining areas that showcase Nordic cuisine. It’s retail concept design in the Nordics at its finest—functional yet deeply cozy (hygge).
Implementing a redesign for an airline is infinitely more complex than a static shop fit-out. As a European retail design studio, we had to coordinate across borders, safety regulations, and digital platforms. The rollout included the complete overhaul of the digital ecosystem (app and website), the physical retrofitting of check-in areas across major hubs, and the incremental update of the fleet interiors.
One of the main hurdles was maintaining the "human" feel while deploying heavy automation. We solved this by designing the tech hardware (kiosks and scanners) to look like furniture rather than machinery, encasing them in materials that softened their presence. We also produced a comprehensive Brand Concept Playbook to ensure that whether a passenger is in Stockholm or Chicago, the SAS soul remains intact.
The timeline was aggressive. Concept to opening in under eight months, coordinating across Swedish design direction and Czech build partners. We solved dozens of small problems — acoustics in the yellow rooms, flexible power for moving tables, ensuring the candy machine could be restocked without disrupting flow.
Streamlined Flow: The adoption of self-serve technology drastically reduced check-in wait times, increasing throughput during peak hours.
The transformation has been nothing short of spectacular. By behaving less like a utility and more like a lifestyle brand, SAS successfully repositioned itself.
Travelers noticed the shift immediately. One passenger, Emily M., noted, "Sleek Scandinavian design created a sleek and calming ambiance throughout the journey. I felt like I was truly experiencing the essence of Scandinavia."
By reconnecting with their roots and trusting Blink, their chosen retail design agency in Sweden, SAS didn't just update their look; they future-proofed their business model for the modern traveler.
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