Designing for IFE
MK Insights
Brand experience, innovation and the universal
challenge of evolving fleets
Q1 2026
A positive and engaging passenger experience in IFEC is critical. Historical technology-driven decision making has created a legacy of inconsistency for those tasked with crafting the user experience across aircraft types. The incredible pace of change in AI-powered interaction and user interface design and the expectations of passengers is a perfect storm. Bridging platform and technology differences while maintaining brand identity, usability, and efficiency is a holistic CX/UX/UI and operational challenge that thoughtful design can help airlines solve.
Concept Airline UI to test the IFE Design System Designed by Monokoto for AERQ - a joint venture between Lufthansa Technik and LG Electronics
The role of design
Design provides the connective tissue between technology, brand, and human behaviour. The process and practice of UX and UI translates technical diversity into a cohesive experience by defining common structures, interaction patterns and affordances. Good design works across platforms ensuring every touchpoint feels recognisable, responsive, and unmistakably part of the same airline.
Monokoto’s experience as a strategic design partner to two leading IFE platform providers has given us unique insight into the architectures, processes and airline decision-making that shape how in-flight systems work. This understanding allows us to design solutions that respect technical constraints while creating a unified user experience. We know where flexibility exists and where it doesn’t, helping clients make design decisions that endure across systems and hardware generations.
Where naturally airlines today lean on (and expect more from) their suppliers to suggest, then deliver new capabilities and technical features, it’s crucial for airlines to create and own their user experience strategy and user interface design system in IFE. Some key benefits of taking this approach have become clear to us :
UX/UI design provides the framework for coherence across technical diversity.
A clear, adaptable interface design language ensures passengers experience the same logic, tone, and clarity (the brand) across systems or aircraft, while allowing for and integrating different functional capabilities of the latest IFE systems.
Experiential consistency builds trust, reduces cognitive load, and amplifies the brand.
UX/UI design systems and specifications becomes the translator between engineering, content, and brand.
Designing for different environments, cabins and generations of aircraft is a challenge. Creating and understanding priority user flows, and how they cope in real-world conditions enable the design of adaptable components that perform under pressure. Airline business goals, and the ever-present desire to improve the overall customer experience in all cabins are key drivers in decision-making.
Saving on cost and improvements on revenue generation are a given in every project. We’ve compiled a set of six user experience and user interface design considerations that have been consistent in every discussion on IFE design we have been involved in…
Scalability
Create interfaces that scale across IFE platforms and generations gracefully
Simplicity
Instant usability and delight - reduce effort, increase understanding. Create gestures, tone, and flow that remain coherent across multiple touch points
Resilience
Design interfaces that can adapt to ensure optimal performance in real world multi-user scenarios
Empathy
Enable adaptation to people, cultures, and contexts
Efficiency
Realise operational efficiencies, and enable growth of ancillary (non-aviation) revenue via commercial thinking and smart execution
Ambition
Create an IFE experience that raises expectations, drives preference and referral
Virgin Atlantic
Holistic A350 Cabin Experience Design Project by Monokoto
Industrial Design / Interaction Design / Customer Experience Design / Service Moments / Dining & Beverage Experience / Seating & CMF Design
Mono & Koto for Virgin Atlantic’s A350 - The integration of brand, product and service design
Monokoto was selected as the Customer Experience Design Partner for Virgin Atlantic’s A350 Program which entered into service in 2019. Our direct experience designing onboard spaces, seating customisation and CMF, crew service moments and digital experiences affords a unique integrated approach to IFE design.
The passenger experience is holistic, and every digital touchpoint - their own devices and those offered within a cabin environment - needs to be carefully considered to ensure it adds value and performs its role in the designed experience perfectly.
Monokoto has a unique breadth of expertise spanning brand, UXUI and industrial design which ensures the physical and digital aspects of the passenger experience are considered as one - integrating technology seamlessly into cabin interiors so that the experience feels intentional and complete.
Monokoto IFEC Capabilities :
Strategy &
Futures
Framing challenges and opportunities through research and insights. Finding spaces to play.
Unlocking valuable experiences, enabling efficiencies and finding growth.
Product
Creation
Creating unique and compelling products for established and challenger brands.
Crafting digital products from the ground up, creating new experiences that are equally powered by, and inform technology roadmaps.
Platform
Evolution
Creating new experiences within existing platforms, products and businesses.
Transforming the user experience, while working within existing technical frameworks and restrictions.
Design
Systems
Creating design systems that bring consistency to every moment in the user journey and enable rapid innovation in product teams. Creating the tools for teams to succeed.
Content & Experience Partner Integration
Through our work at the platform level, Monokoto has designed frameworks for third party service integrations across multiple categories.
Monokoto Selected Credentials :
Archipelago
Personalised flight concept by Monokoto
Industrial Design / CX / User Interface Design
New thinking on interactive surfaces in a personalised cabin
Archipelago is a concept project exploring the possibilities when combining digital behaviours, physical environment and deeply personalised interactions. Crew, passenger, environmental and interaction elements are combined with an exploration of new typologies of control and digitally reactive surfaces. Make contact to learn more.
AERQ
Design partner of record - a joint venture between Lufthansa Technik and LG Electronics
Business proposition / Concept Design / Full Design System / Launch Product UX & UI Design
Design leadership to shape an experience and a business
AERQ represented an ambition to re-shape the IFE market overall - a new platform business strategy, product design, interface experience and design system were created by Monokoto in close partnership with the AERQ team in Hamburg, Germany.
FCA / Stellantis
Automotive entertainment UX/UI design
Concept Design / Automotive App Design / Launch Product UX & UI Design
Jeep x McIntosh
Sonus Faber x Maserati
The all-Italian Maserati MC20 hypercar feratures a hyper sound system from Sonus Faber - In partnership with FCA and Sonus Faber, Monokoto designed an expressive in-car entertainment UI running on U-Connect.
For Jeep - Monokoto seamlessly integrated signature UI elements from the McIntosh design language into the automotive environment, solving technical challenges to deliver a true McIntosh experience on the road.
Let’s meet :
AIX
Monokoto are Annual attendees at AIX Hamburg - where the world of Aviation meets.
PEC
Pre-AIX, the Passenger Experience Conference - PEC - has become a key meeting point for airlines, partners and suppliers to explore the future of Passenger Experience.
CES
Monokoto will be at CES Las Vegas in 2026 - the cutting edge of AI-powered experiences, consumer products and technology are all on display. Highly valuable for Aviation visitors.
1:1
For an immediate conversation - make contact to set up a call or meeting and discuss your needs.
Contact
For more information, or to set up an introductory meeting, please make contact.
Pete Hamblin
Co-founder and Director
pete@monoko.to
Nicky Rinks
Business Development Director