By Melissa Alonso | April 21, 2026 - Atlanta, GA
What started as a classroom project has now reached the global stage. Students from Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design have won the 2026 Crystal Cabin Award, one of the most prestigious honors in aviation design, for their project SMARTrack, developed in the Spring 2025 course Circular Design Research.
The award, selected by a panel of 27 international experts, recognizes the most compelling innovations shaping the future of aircraft cabins. The course brought together 11 students to explore new aviation experiences grounded in human-centered and circular design principles. Working in collaboration with Airbus and Delta Air Lines, student teams tackled real-world challenges across airline operations and sustainability.
Three projects were shortlisted for the global award, with two advancing to the final round, an achievement that underscores the strength of Georgia Tech’s design approach.
For the team behind SMARTrack, Yiran Wang, Ziqi Tang, and Shujian Xu, the experience was about more than recognition. “We think that this course provided a precious opportunity for us to collaborate with Delta Air Lines and Airbus, which allowed us to identify real industry challenges and discover niche pain points,” they shared.
“We believe that when students’ imagination is grounded in real-world constraints, it has the power to make a huge impact.” That balance of creative freedom and real data shaped the experience for many students. “It was a truly surreal experience,” said Irene Jacob, whose team’s Closed-Loop Catering project was also recognized as a finalist.
“As student designers, we were granted a rare space to remain unrestricted by corporate constraints, fueled instead by real-world data and the boundless imagination required for deep problem-solving.” Both teams emphasized the value of having their work seen beyond the classroom.
“We are also grateful to the Crystal Cabin Awards for providing a platform for our ideas to be shared with more industry professionals, and to inspire and advocate for ways to improve sustainability in aviation,” the SMARTrack team added.
The win marks a milestone not only for the students, but for the course itself, with its first cohort already making an impact on a global stage. Taught by EunSook Kwon, Ph.D., Chair and Professor in the School of Industrial Design, the course is focused on the principles of a circular economy and explores how design, innovation, and sustainability intersect within the aviation industry.
As part of this first-year pilot program, students examined emerging trends, technologies, and materials shaping the future of air travel while addressing critical challenges such as carbon reduction, circularity, and human-centered design.
“This study focused on how design, innovation, and sustainability intersect within the aviation industry, while addressing critical challenges such as carbon reduction, circularity, and human-centered design,” said Kwon. “It serves as a foundation for future aviation design studies and highlights the importance of interdisciplinary, international, and integrated approaches to advancing sustainable aviation.”
This work lays a foundation for future aviation design studies, emphasizing interdisciplinary, international, and integrated approaches to advancing sustainable aviation. It also reflects the growing role of academic and industry collaboration in shaping the future of aviation, where ideas developed in the studio can influence real-world systems, experiences, and outcomes.
For these students, the moment was both unexpected and defining, proof that design, when rooted in real challenges and bold thinking, can travel far beyond the classroom.