Malaysia Air Sheds Its Mourning Grey In a Digital Refresh

After the disappearance of MH370, Malaysia Airlines changed its public profile across its social media channels to grey, reflecting their mourning over the loss of the passengers and crew of the ill fated flight. Recently, the airline has begun restoring color to its online presence in a quiet and understated way.

The most recent change is a complete revamp of its website. The airline has selected an appealing flat design, an interface designed for ease of use, and a layout focused on featuring key elements of the passenger experience, using captivating images which draw the visitor’s eye, encouraging them to click and learn more.

This change has been made quietly, and not across the board. While the airline’s Facebook page presently shows a packed travel tote overflowing with icons of popular destinations — like the leaning tower of Pisa, Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty, the Sydney Opera House and the Eiffel Tower — their presence on Google+, Twitter and Weibo retains a sombre grey-on-grey background.

On Yoku, however, the design is dynamic and image-rich, including an embedded video of a happy couple anticipating their journey. Malaysia’s Pinterest page remains grey, and empty. The airline has yet to add a single picture. Malaysia has no official Flickr account, though there is a Flickr group dedicated to images of their aircraft.

While the airline has been careful to introduce these changes gradually, the vibrant new website design would indicate that Malaysia Airlines is eager for a fresh start.

Marisa Garcia has worked in aviation since 1994, spending 16 years on the design and manufacturing of cabin interiors and cabin safety equipment. She shares insights gained from this experience on Flight Chic and Tweets as @designerjet.