Physical vs Virtual Design: Advancing the XR+ Method for Facilitated Passenger Aircraft Cabin Co-Design

Abstract

Developing aircraft cabin interiors requires balancing operational needs with evolving passenger expectations. Translating the lived passenger experience into early spatial concepts remains challenging. This paper describes a series of facilitated co-design workshops enabling non-designer stakeholders (passengers) to create aircraft cabin layouts from scratch. In 18 time-boxed group sessions lasting 120 minutes each, passengers were instructed to create concepts for a long-haul space beyond the seat, also known as a ‘third space’. These sessions utilised the XR+ methodology: a workflow that combines ideation on reduced-scale (1:20) with immersive full-scale (1:1) refinement in XR. While prior XR+ applications focused on professional stakeholder groups in cabin-related contexts, the present work extends XR+ to passenger-led co-design. Furthermore, two variants of the method are tested: an all-virtual approach (XR scale 1:20 → XR scale 1:1) against a hybrid approach (physical scale 1:20 → XR scale 1:1). Results show that novice passengers in both workflows produced concept artefacts within a single session, as evidenced by the completion of layout prototypes and facilitator observations. Facilitators observed that the 1:20 scale supports rapid layout creation and a shared negotiation space. This was followed by embodied spatial refinement at 1:1 scale. Key practical differences between the workflows were (i) where facilitation effort is needed most and (ii) continuity of artefacts across stages. In conclusion, practical workflow trade-offs to inform the adoption of XR+ variants in early aviation research and ideation are summarised.

Keywords: XR, Co-design, Aircraft Cabin, Cabin Design, Participatory Design, Physical, Virtual

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007841