Frontiers November 2014 49 aviation—for example, the instrument panel look and feel in the 787 flight deck has elements from a car design. And he has a professional background in psychology, a field of interest that first brought him to Boeing as a teacher focused on work relationships and corresponding research. “An important aspect of martial arts is opening the mind to learning,” said John Barratt, CEO of Teague, the Seattle-based company that has partnered with Boeing on every one of its jetliner cabins starting with the 707. “Blake is a lifelong learner; his appetite for knowledge is part of what makes him great at what he does.” Originally hired by Boeing in the early 1980s to teach interpersonal management skills, Emery showed people how to be better listeners, business writers and public speakers. As his job morphed in different directions, and Boeing made it a priority to find ways to be markedly different in an increasingly competitive marketplace, Emery was asked in 1999 to lead a team that would travel to several countries and ask people what they wanted in an airliner, specifically cabin comfort. From this research project, the team created a campaign called “airplanes for people,” which was meant to personalize the flying experience for everyone, including crew, mechanics and passengers. Emery was fascinated by the idea of implementing notable change for Boeing. His team recommended the creation of a new position: director of differentiation strategy. Emery nominated himself. “I was so interested in it and wanted to do it so badly, I stood up in a meeting with the leadership team and said, ‘If I was the director of differentiation strategy, these are the kinds of things I’d be doing, and until someone tells me different, that’s what I’m going to be doing,’ ” Emery said. “I stood up and basically gave myself the job.” Emery assumed his new role immediately, though it took nearly a year to become official. He began work on the interior and exterior look of the high-speed Sonic Cruiser, charged with bringing engineers and designers together in the creative process, until that project was replaced by the 787. Change remained high-priority, even with the shift in airplane direction. Without traditional training, Emery learned design concepts on the fly. He was not shy about offering suggestions, his ideas coming rapid-fire. He has been awarded 20 U.S. patents largely for seat, interior and exterior design. “Sometimes you run into guys like him who are so far out there they have a hard time bridging back to reality, and Blake’s not that guy,” Allyne said. “He’s able to bridge and think and bring it back.” With the success of the new interiors for the 787, 737 and 747-8, Emery has become a well-known creative face for Boeing, drawing international attention and leading to some interesting comparisons. A Peruvian newspaper likened him to the chocolate-minded Willy Wonka. The Chinese version of Elle magazine called him Gandalf, referencing The Hobbit. Even a Boeing video lightheartedly described Emery as a seat specialist, seat scientist and seat guru all in one, outfitting him first in a lab jacket and then a scarf. With everything he does, Emery’s mission has always been this: The psychologist in him wants to hear what others have to say and improve their relationships. That could involve two individuals, two groups of people, a group and a company, or even someone and an airline seat. He also wants to return people to a golden aviation age, where everything was once so new and a moment of discovery. And, if he’s done his job well, there will be momentary angst along the way. “I want people to be a little bit sad when the flight is over and they have to get off the airplane.” n daniel.w.raley@boeing.com PHOTOS: (Far left) An innovative cabin design and lighting help provide a sense of spaciousness, and the sky above, inside a Boeing Business Jet 787. BOB FERGUSON/BOEING. (Above, right) A 737 Boeing Sky Interior. BOEING GRAPHIC: (Above, left) The futuristic Sonic Cruiser, shown in an illustration, launched interior concepts that later were used for the 787 Dreamliner and the Boeing 737 Sky Interior. BOEING
Frontiers November 2014 Issue
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