Northern Pacific Airways is a new U.S. long haul carrier based in Anchorage, Alaska which unveiled the livery of the first of its fleet—a Boeing 757-200—this past January.
Edmond Huot is the Creative Director who designed the Northern Pacific airplane. Here we interview him about the unusual process.
Q: Are you given basic rules to follow, like logos, colors, lines, etc.? How do you manage to remain creative and put your own touch in a design that is so limited? I follow a brand design and identity. In the case of Northern Pacific, my team and I created the brand identity, so I was following my design.
A: In the case of Northern Pacific Airways, I conceived of the entire brand—from initial concept through to execution. The colors, typography, graphic motifs, and subsequent identity and marketing touchpoints were all born out of an overarching thematic narrative and mood board. Incidentally, the mood board is an important design tool that acts as a sort of 'filter,' helping to mitigate a wide range of subjective design decisions. The brand's tone and character must always align with any and all graphic selections.
Q: Do you sometimes have to defend your design to the airlines/clients? Have you ever had to redesign something entirely to please a client?
A: The approval process for most of our branding projects is one of the most crucial phases of the overall assignment. First of all, I believe in bringing well-researched benchmarks that are designed to rally decision-making based on what the marketplace, not myself, deems 'best in class.' Often, my clients are looking for objectivity and evidentiary proof, not what they perceive as a creative person's personal bias. It's my job to connect the dots when it comes to highly inspired notions and any subsequent design solutions. There have been occasions where I've had to quite literally stand up in defense of an idea or design direction. I'm not sure whether it's my Taurean nature, but I'm quite passionate about what I do. I believe my clients are looking for that level of ownership and conviction. Obviously, it requires a fair amount of tact and diplomacy as well. Finally, it also helps to invest a good amount of time and energy into mock-ups, which really bring the designs to life. My clients need to see themselves in the design. I spend a lot of time curating an expert team of designers, writers, animators, and renderers. If I don't get the design right early on, I run the risk of losing momentum, which can ultimately frustrate and confuse the client.
Q: What do you think an airplane livery should say? What statement should it make?
A: A strong livery program must serve a wide range of interests and criteria. From a branding perspective, the design needs to accurately represent the airline's values and characteristics. The design must work with and complement the physical shape and form of the aircraft itself. From the travelers' perspective, an effective livery should stand out both high in the sky and on a crowded, cluttered tarmac—from artfully designed color schemes to highly refined graphic icons that simply but effectively transcend geography, culture, and language to communicate universal themes. It's been my experience that airline marketing is somewhat akin to a tourism campaign, as airlines are in many ways synonymous with the same themes and values of the countries and geographic regions they represent.
Q: What are the most famous liveries you’ve done?
A: Northern Pacific Airways is the most comprehensive and ambitious branding project I've been involved with. I also worked on a design project for the Honolulu-based airline, Island Air. The airline was being groomed for purchase by the billionaire, Larry Ellison of Oracle Corporation. I found myself working directly with Ellison, helping to communicate and translate a range of design ideas and requests in the best way possible.
Q: Have you ever flown in an airplane that featured your livery—and did you brag about it? :-)
A: Haha ... I think my family and friends have done more bragging on my behalf! Northern Pacific will be the first airline that I fly on featuring my work. And for the record, when I say 'my work,' I really mean my team's work. I could never do this without the help and dedication of some truly talented and inspired individuals. That is what's really worth bragging about!
Q: Which livery are you the proudest of, and why?
A: Each livery project comes with its own highlights and badges of honor. Island Air, for example, featured a rather daring and exhilarating air-to-air video shoot where I, along with my videographer, were tightly crammed into a small Beechcraft turboprop that did these extreme passes above and below the airline's newly painted ATR 50. Northern Pacific Airway brings me joy because I was given a great deal of autonomy, which in turn helps empower the highest level of ideation, design, and production. I'm both proud and grateful for that.
Q: Is there an airplane livery that you have not designed that you wish you had? If yes, which one, and why?
A: Absolutely! I've always been a fan of Northwest Orient's livery design. Butler & Zimmerman's design program featured a bold, yet simple red tail design along with a striking and sharp decal treatment featuring a monochromatic palette of white, soft greys, and black. CP-Air's famous 'orange bird' design by Lippincott & Margulies is another favorite of mine. The livery showcased Canadian Pacific's multi-use arrow-in-circle icon with a rather unconventional color palette of red, orange, and steel gray accented by an iconic swooping line motif. These designs were then, and are today, imaginative, brave, elegant, and enduring. I wish I could have been a part of their conception!
Q: What do you like best about designing airplane livery? Is it the huge size of the canvas?
A: Beyond the initial conceptual phase, where my team and I get to stretch our imaginations and aspirations, there's nothing—and I mean NOTHING—that compares to walking into an aircraft hangar to see (for the first time) my design applied to a 137,000lb 155 ft long Boeing 757-200 series. The sheer scale of this aircraft in all of its aerodynamic and technological beauty is beyond extraordinary. It's truly life-affirming! Northern Pacific Airways: https://np.com/
