Let’s Fly Fair: ThinkPlace Nudges Gender Bias in Aviation

Women in aviation face persistent cultural, structural, and interpersonal barriers—especially in technical and leadership roles. Many diversity initiatives fail to translate research into action or shift entrenched behaviours. The challenge was to use design research methods to uncover behavioural drivers, create actionable evidence, and ethically test interventions in real settings. The brief required a balance of rigour and creativity, with methodologies capable of surfacing lived experience, mapping complex systems, and identifying high-leverage behaviour change points. This demanded a multidisciplinary approach that could navigate industry sensitivities, engage diverse cohorts, and produce tangible, scalable outcomes for cultural transformation.

The team applied a multi-layered research methodology grounded in behavioural science and human-centred design. We combined literature and data reviews with 60+ interviews to generate deep contextual insight. We built a Behaviour Systems Map, defined six psychographic profiles, and used (COM-B) model and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to prioritise five target behaviours. Interventions were mapped using the EAST OF A nudge framework. Ten nudges were then co-designed and trialled across four organisations. Surveys, reflexive thematic analysis, and comparative measurement techniques were used pre- and post-trial. This approach enabled rich, real-time evaluation of behavioural shifts and organisational readiness for change.

The research produced actionable, context-specific findings that led to measurable change. All five target behaviours shifted positively, including a 43% increase in self-reported behaviour change and 42% in observed change. Trial data revealed factors influencing nudge effectiveness, such as leadership support, organisational size, and role types. Insights from the research shaped a practical, evidence-informed toolkit now available for sector-wide use. Methodologically, the project demonstrated the value of integrating systems thinking, behavioural theory, and co-design to produce real-world impact. It also advanced design research practice by applying ethical, participatory, and reflexive approaches in a complex, regulated, and traditionally resistant sector.

•Capability, Opportunity, Motivation–Behaviour (COM-B) model and Theoretical Domains Framework applied to gender equity for targeted behavioural diagnosis •Behaviour Systems Mapping to visualise interdependent workplace dynamics •Six psychographic profiles to guide audience-specific nudge design •Mixed methods: qualitative interviews, reflexive thematic analysis, observational data, and comparative pulse surveys •Easy, Attractive, Social, Timely, Open, Fun and Actionable (EAST OF A) framework used to match behaviour source to appropriate nudge types •Iterative validation with partner organisations and participant feedback loops •Multi-site field trials in four aviation organisations (engineering teams, pilots, and training providers) •Real-world evidence collected over four-week trial periods •Results analysed across organisational contexts to understand system-level effects •Rigorous ethical behavioural design process, with risk lens applied throughout research