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In recent years, aircraft livery has begun to evolve beyond its traditional role as a branding exercise. What was once largely confined to logos, color blocks and identity placement is now increasingly treated as a fully integrated design discipline - one that requires the same technical rigor, spatial understanding and long-term thinking as aircraft interiors themselves.This shift reflects a broader change within aviation. Aircraft are no longer viewed solely as transportation assets, but as environments that move through the world, seen from multiple perspectives, across geographies, cultures and speeds. As aviation design becomes more sophisticated, exterior work must respond not only to aesthetics but to engineering constraints, regulatory requirements, durability and the realities of operational life.
From an industry perspective, large-scale commercial livery projects offer a clear lens into where aircraft design is heading.
Unlike conventional liveries that apply visual identity elements onto a fuselage as a final layer, contemporary approaches increasingly begin with the aircraft itself. The geometry, proportions and natural reference points of the airframe guide the composition. Window lines become structural guides rather than obstacles. Fuselage tapering, wing placement and rear-body curvature inform where visual emphasis belongs. When done correctly, the design does not sit on the aircraft - it moves with it.
This approach was central to the exterior design of the Creative 100 Boeing 777-300ER developed as part of the Qatar Airways Creative 100 initiative, unveiled publicly during the Formula 1 weekend. The project presented a rare opportunity to approach a large commercial aircraft as a unified design surface rather than a billboard.
Rather than overwhelming the fuselage with graphic density, the composition was structured around balance and motion. Window lines were used as visual anchors, allowing the design to unfold rhythmically across the aircraft in flight. The rear fuselage became a natural focal point for dynamic elements, while primary airline branding was intentionally retained in its forward positions to preserve immediate recognizability and operational clarity.
Execution, however, is where such projects truly reveal their complexity.
Large commercial aircraft liveries demand extraordinary precision. In this case, the aircraft underwent complete paint removal before the new scheme was applied in Teruel, Spain, by International Aerospace Coatings (IAC). Custom-mixed AkzoNobel aviation-grade paints were developed specifically for the program, with color formulations engineered to perform under varying light conditions, climates and viewing distances.
Much of the application process was executed by hand. Trim lines were manually laid out. Graphic elements were aligned across curved surfaces requiring exact tolerances. Multiple paint layers were applied in a carefully sequenced process to ensure depth, longevity and compliance with commercial aviation standards. Even elements that appeared purely visual, such as a carbon-fiber pattern integrated into the upper rear trim, were engineered to avoid unnecessary weight or aerodynamic impact, achieved through precision decal application rather than paint.
What these projects demonstrate most clearly is that the future of aircraft design lies in restraint, integration and longevity.
The industry is moving away from short-term visual statements and toward design decisions that can endure years of operation without visual fatigue. This mirrors a broader shift among ultra-high-net-worth and commercial aviation stakeholders alike: a preference for work that is thoughtful, technically sound, and built to age well.
Exterior design is no longer separate from the aircraft's identity or purpose. It is part of the overall experience, one that must perform under scrutiny from regulators, operators, passengers, and the public alike.
As aviation continues to intersect with culture, sport, and global visibility, the most successful design work will not be the loudest. It will be the most precise. The projects that stand out will be those that respect the aircraft as an engineered object first, and a canvas second.
That mindset - designing with the aircraft, not on top of it - is where the future of aviation design is headed.
Aurora Saboir is an award-winning aviation interior and industrial designer and the founder of Aurora Aero Design.