Interior dis-illusions: plenty of room for improvement

Passenger transport industry design specialist Ray Stenning continues his regular look at how the style and experience of the product can make a massive difference to its appeal.

Ray Stenning is Design Director of his company Best Impressions which specialises in providing creative services to the passenger transport industry. He has worked for over 30 years on everything from rail and bus liveries and vehicle styling to timetables and publicity and corporate identity. ray@best-impressions.co.uk

Ray Stenning is Design Director of his company Best Impressions which specialises in providing creative services to the passenger transport industry. He has worked for over 30 years on everything from rail and bus liveries and vehicle styling to timetables and publicity and corporate identity. ray@best-impressions.co.uk

A stepwell challenge at the rear of the MAN EBSF demonstrator.

A stepwell challenge at the rear of the MAN EBSF demonstrator.

Vehicle interiors are a regular part of my work - and perhaps the most challenging. Trying to make them attractive, exciting, stylish, cool, classy, sassy, striking, calming, sumptuous, possibly all at the same time. So it strikes me as odd that the very environment that can make people enjoy a journey and relish making it again, can so often be average to bad. Let down by poor design, inferior detailing and a singular lack of understanding as to how our eyes need to be pleased, let alone our...