TSA Checkpoint Evolution

The Challenge: Partnered with the TSA to explore new approaches to airport security, utilizing design to make the passenger experience calmer and more efficient.

The Innovation: Developed the concept of “bypassing passengers” using individual divesting pods. This allowed travelers to unpack at their own pace, eliminating the bottleneck of the standard X-ray line. This concept is now a global standard.

The Process: Prototyped various checkpoint layouts in a San Francisco warehouse using full-scale foam-core models. Conducted daily testing with mock passengers and executed rapid, overnight design iterations.

The Result: Successfully launched a fully functional concept checkpoint at Baltimore/Washington International Airport in 2008.