Volvo Volem

Abstract: What if the future of transportation was more diverse, more exciting and more responsible? What if Volvo became a true mobility provider with a broader product palette? What if the airship would finally get its great renaissance and what would it look like if Volvo developed it? With these questions in mind, I started my thesis and eventually designed an airship for Volvo. The word Volvo is derived from Latin and means “I roll” which inspired me to pick the name “Volem” which is equally derived from Latin and means “I fly”. The focus of the degree work is transport in tourism and the final concept is a holistic service design for continental round-trips provided by Volvo. It is not just an airship but rather an entirely new way of traveling suited to the needs of future tourism. A journey of this future should be environmentally responsible, experientially enriching, educational and exciting. The key to this future is “Volvo Volem”. “Volvo Volem” has a comfortable main deck, an extraordinary lounge and an observation balcony which provides an unforgettable experience with its views. During the design process, I conducted some research in the field of tourism and in LTA (lighter-than-air) technologies. I used traditional design tools like sketching and 3D-modelling to refine my ideas. To get an impression of the interior I got the opportunity to test the geometry in virtual reality, which turned out to be a very helpful technology with increasingly indispensable characteristics in the design field.