An ECA alumnus has designed an airline seat specifically for neurodivergent travellers – which is being exhibited at the V&A Dundee.
Jamie O’Donnell (BA Hons Intermedia, 2021) is now a designer for Scottish leather firm Muirhead.
He wanted to bring his own experiences of neurodivergence into his work, to benefit others: “Air travel is sensorily overwhelming for anyone, but especially for neurodivergent individuals. With large crowds, loud noises, harsh textures, and bright lights - there’s no wonder it gives us sensory overload. I wanted to see how we can use colour, materials, & finishes to create a more calming environment onboard.
“The seat cover features calming green coloured leathers - green being the best colour for autistic people, due to it being soothing on your eyes. The seat cover also features embossed bolsters on the seat base, inspired by pop-it fidget toys, to create a stimming texture for nervous travellers. Digitally printed seat numbers feature on the corner of the seat back to help passengers to navigate the aircraft interior.”
The seat concept was launched by Muirhead at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg in 2024, and has since evolved to the current iteration, which is displayed in the V&A, as part of its Design & Disability exhibition. Jamie has been presenting the concept to Muirhead’s airline customers, and is working with Boeing to explore how future products may best support neurodivergent passengers.
He said: “I collaborated with disability consultancy, Visible Inclusive Accessibility (VIA), to research further into the needs of neurodivergent passengers. I designed the pattern for the seat cover and worked closely with our Sew & Trim team to make this idea come to life. I made sure every detail was perfect. Everything from the colour of the digitally printed seat numbers to the softness of the thread used for topstitching. I wanted to make sure the seat cover was both accessible and aesthetically pleasing.”
He secured the exhibition slot after visiting the Design & Disability exhibition when it was at the V&A in London. He connected there with one of the exhibition organisers, who was a University of Edinburgh graduate and a friend of his manager at Muirhead. Curators from the V&A Dundee then visited him at the tannery to discuss his work, and offered him a place in the Scottish iteration of the exhibition.
Jamie said it had been an amazing experience: “It’s like a full-circle moment as I was born in Dundee and grew up in Tayport. I still can’t believe I have my work in a prestigious museum like the V&A. It’s a privilege to have my work on display amongst so many talented people.
"The exhibition is so powerful and emotional. I think my work has resonated with a lot of people. It has been so rewarding to speak to people about my concept and opening up the conversation about neurodiversity in design.”
Jamie said his studies at ECA, and the lessons he had learned, had fed directly into the way he approaches his work: “During my time at ECA, I created all-immersive installation experiences on topics that were very personal to me.
"This has shaped what I create today because designing for aircraft interiors is creating immersive travel experiences for passengers. We can shape that experience through the materials we use. Designing with human experiences in mind should always be authentic. It’s not just about how things look, it’s about how it makes you feel.”
Design and Disability is on at the V&A Dundee until 4 October.
