Case history of a design strategy

Judith Gloppen, leader of the Nordic Design Project, was responsible for design during the planning and construction of the express rail link (Flytoget) serving Norway's new Gardermoen Airport. She writes: "Flytoget, I feel, is an example of design's ability to manifest corporate mission.

It shows just what can be achieved on a project if there is a common understanding, at senior management level, of what you are setting out to deliver, and a wholehearted commitment to using design to achieve it. For a rail brand - or any other brand - to be successful, it has to be communicated consistently through every point of contact with the customer: not just the appearance of the train itself, but in its internal fit-out, facilities, uniforms, ticketing, environment and standards of cleaning.

Design guide
It is the small details that count. I have found that customer experience can be managed, and that a carefully focused design effort can help manage customer experience for the better. The brand experience is delivered by the environment, by signage, by frequency of departure (on time!), and by the people that run the service. We drew up a Design Guide, which acted as an inspiration for the various parties involved in the process. At the same time it provided a common understanding of the concepts and values inherent in the Flytoget brand.

The brand-positioning statement is that Flytoget offers the most modern transport alternative and is by far the superior, safest and most efficient way to go to and from the airport. We wanted Flytoget to be perceived as a natural part of the flight, and a harmonious travel experience. What would this mean in terms of customer experience and infrastructure design? And what were the implications for decision-making during the development process?

The airport express train project encompassed virtually every aspect of design: terminals, landscapes, hardware, uniforms, information systems and services, and of course, transport and infrastructure. The management of all these projects required a holistic way of thinking and defined my role in developing the brand/design strategy and managing all the design projects with the aim of creating a coherent identity."

Nordisk InnovationsCenter (NICe) sin årsrapport for 2009 tar for seg de viktigste temaene og begivenhetene fra året som har gått. Nordisk InnovationsCenter gjør nå innovasjon i marin sektor til et nytt satsingsområde og dette er bakgrunnen for at årets årsrapport har fått tittelen ”Fremtiden er i det blå ...er løsningen til havs?".
Her finner du Årsrapporten 2009