Step into the cockpit—no controls needed.
How do you bring the magic of flying to life? By making it tangible, immersive, and effortless. For SWISS, we created an interactive flight experience where visitors land an aircraft using only body movements—blurring the line between dream and reality.
Reading time about 3 min.
Start: Mai 2015
Timeline: 3 months
Agency: Eyecatcher AG - Zurich
Lead: Aroma Productions AG
Client: SWISS International Air Lines is, as we all know, the best-known Swiss airline, and it embodies Swiss aviation tradition and culture.
Services: UX Research and User Interviews, Tech. Research, Ideation, Gamification, Interaction-Design, Prototyping, GUI and UI Design, Visual Design, 3-Modeling, Texturing, Motion-Design, Video Editing, Design-OPs, …
Platform: UNITY + XBOX KINECT
The challenge
How might we inspire visitors to embrace the thrill of aviation?
In collaboration with Aroma, SWISS invited us to contribute to the immersive experience world at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne. The goal? To activate and engage visitors of all ages—young and old—with the spirit of aviation and the rich traditions of the SWISS brand.
The challenge was to create a realistic flying experience that was thrilling yet accessible. We needed to strike the perfect balance—making it immersive and intuitive without overwhelming users. We integrated Switzerland’s topography, the entire SWISS fleet, and Zurich Airport into an interactive, three-dimensional experience to achieve this. Visitors would see, feel, and live aviation from a pilot’s perspective.
The Result
Bringing the dream of flight to life – hands-free and intuitive.
We developed an interactive, gesture-tracked flight simulator, allowing visitors to land a SWISS aircraft at Zurich Airport—using only their body movements. This experience replicated the actual landing procedures of a SWISS pilot, immersing participants in an ultra-realistic aviation moment.
Upon successfully landing the aircraft, each visitor received a personalized SWISS pilot certificate—a tangible memento celebrating their achievement. The installation, designed to mirror the real airport environment, has fascinated visitors for years and remains a highlight of the Swiss Museum of Transport.
My Role in the Project
Lead Interaction Designer – Shaping the Virtual Sky.
As Lead Interaction Designer, I oversaw the creative direction at Eyecatcher AG and guided the development team through an iterative, co-creative process. We focused on innovation, user-friendliness, and brand alignment, ensuring the experience was engaging and aligned with SWISS’s aesthetic and identity within the larger immersive world designed by Aroma.
A significant challenge was the entire 3D environment—I designed and optimized Zurich Airport, its buildings, aircraft, and the surrounding Swiss landscape for seamless performance and an immersive flight experience. This required a blend of visual realism and technical efficiency, creating an authentic world while remaining highly responsive.
Team: Oliver Pell (Consultant), Gerd Moser (Development), Matze Lenz (Design & Interaction)
Tools: Unity, Cinema 4D, Fireworks, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects, Keynote
Final Designs
Enjoy the flight
The SWISS aircraft to pick
The SWISS aircraft fleet available for visitors to select.
The Cockpit
Real-time flight instruments and instructor guidance displays help participants visually approach Zurich Airport.
User-Flow and Gameplay
Interaction Elements and Buttons
Designing intuitive, hands-free controls.
Back in 2015, off-the-shelf gesture-tracking solutions were still in their infancy. We had to develop our interaction patterns and craft clear, intuitive instructions for users.
For example, to select a button, users moved their hand—tracked at the end of the arm—over a virtual button. To prevent accidental selections, they had to hold their position for 2 seconds to activate the button.
We conducted multiple user tests in our lab, refining the system to ensure seamless usability. These optimizations created an accessible, frustration-free interaction model, making the dream of flying as intuitive as possible for all visitors.
Reliving the Approach – The Replay Feature
Enhancing excitement with instant feedback.
To amplify the immersive experience, we introduced a replay feature that allowed participants to watch their landing approach. This not only reinforced their achievements but also added an element of excitement and anticipation—participants could see how smooth or challenging their landing was.
The replay system was designed to highlight key moments, such as the final descent, touchdown, and taxiing to the gate, providing a sense of accomplishment and realism. Watching their flight approach created an emotional connection to the experience, making the dream of piloting a SWISS aircraft even more tangible.
Impression
Feedback from the experts 😉
Thank you for reading
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