Zoë Fisher

Zoë Fisher serves as the leader of Gresham Smith's Charlotte Aviation Studio, where she excels in delivering innovative design solutions that enrich the passenger experience. Among her significant contributions is the US$500m terminal lobby expansion at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT), a key initiative to accommodate the airport's growth while enhancing the arrival experience by serving passengers with a side of Southern hospitality. Fisher enjoys traveling the world and watercoloring/sketching to document her travels.

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Panel discussion: Experience + education – using design to enrich the passenger experience

Fostering a strong sense of place is essential to every airport environment. Airports around the globe face the challenge of using the built environment to convey the unique narratives of the regions they serve. How can these stories be brought to life in ways that truly enhance the passenger experience? This panel will explore how a design methodology rooted in experiential elements and storytelling can transform the traditional airport environment into a vibrant, engaged community space. We will share examples across CLT that use unexpected elements and sensory experiences as a thesis for implementing concepts at airports across the globe.

The audience will learn:

• Why it matters – spaces rich in immersive, discoverable elements play a critical role in elevating the passenger experience
• How key experiential moments become recognizable via social media and attract passengers even before they reach the airport
• How experiential elements focused on education allow for interpretive moments throughout each passenger’s journey
• Strategies for coordination across entire facilities, positioning elements that support wayfinding strategies, serving as beacons across a cohesive experience
• Empowering the unexpected – explore how interventions encountered throughout the passenger journey offer means for engagement, education, distraction and enjoyment