Phased Development Lessons from a 1968 Supersonic Jet

Design and Artistic Approach: A Historical Perspective

By Andrii Nikolaiev – a Ukrainian engineer. I share insights gathered from my aunt, Vera Shevchuk (Maksyutenko), and from reading an in-depth article on the work of a group of artists and designers from 1968.

Archival photographs of the high-speed passenger plane designs from 1968.

Introduction: The Importance of Phased Development

In 1968, a group of designers and artists, including members of the Union of Soviet Artists, worked on the design of a supersonic passenger plane. Although I was born in 1960 and could not witness their work firsthand, conversations with my aunt and reading scholarly articles revealed that this project uncovered a crucial principle: complex projects are developed in distinct phases.

This phased approach allowed the team to allocate work more effectively, analyze complexity, and assess the overall workload. Today, this methodology resonates in modern project frameworks—from the classic waterfall model to agile systems like SCRUM.

From the accounts of Vera Shevchuk and from an article describing the project, the design of a high-speed passenger plane was divided into three main stages:

Section 1: Discovering the Phases in Design

From the accounts of Vera Shevchuk and from an article describing the project, the design of a high-speed passenger plane was divided into three main stages:

1. Seeking the idea and inner meaning — designers reflect on what the object should express, its character, and how it interacts with its surroundings.
2. Sketching and searching for harmony — balance of form, proportion, rhythm, and color, exploring how details shape the overall impression.
3. Bringing the idea into reality and modelling — developing details, testing feasibility, resolving complexities, and finding expressive means to bring the vision to life.

This systematic process demonstrated that every complex design problem naturally breaks into stages, with each phase fulfilling a distinct purpose.

Section 2: How Phased Development Leads to Workload Assessment

When the phases are clearly defined, one can quantify the effort involved:

• How many man-hours went into creating initial sketches and prototypes?
• How long did the review and approval process take?
• What was the duration of the final detailing phase?

This structured approach provided a practical tool for workload estimation—one that, although rudimentary in the 1960s, remains fundamental today.

Section 3: "The Ukrainian Universe vs the Procrustean Bed of the Kremlin"

In conversations with Vera Shevchuk, I learned that every phase of a project requires a distinct set of skills and a unique combination of artistic intuition alongside precise engineering calculations and effective management. Her personal contribution was remarkable, as she shaped the external form and color design of the plane—shaping its visual identity and aesthetic.

During the Soviet era, while the official narrative declared freedom, in practice many sophisticated designs were simplified or suppressed in favor of uniformity.

Instead of multi-layered color schemes and sculptural forms, designs were flattened into simplistic, utilitarian shapes. Any attempt to encode cultural identity, symbolism, or an “Easter egg” was met with atheistic-totalitarian censorship.

Such suppression of individual expression often stifled the development of more complex design forms.

Had the operation of the aircraft been in the hands of a free and culturally open society, this case might have evolved into a symbol of innovation; instead, it remained a forgotten relic of a system that prioritized control over innovation.

Despite the Soviet Union’s proclaimed policy of equality and ‘friendship of peoples,’ a design that resonated with one ethnic or cultural group might not have appealed to another. In a country where diversity was officially recognized but practically restricted, the pursuit of a unified aesthetic often led to designs that felt alien to many—achieving homogeneity at the cost of suppressing artistic identity across the board.

Conclusion

Based on the insights I gathered from my relative and the historical article, I conclude that:

• The step-by-step approach, moving through the phases of work, step by step revision and coordination of different fragments allows for the creation of qualitatively new products.
• Dividing the work into clearly defined phases helps craft the expressive content of the object, gradually refine the concept and achieve a cohesive result.
• The principle of structural development reflects changing work with form over time and provides a universal approach applicable not only in engineering but also in other creative fields.
• An example of the successful use of this approach is the practice formed by the artists and designers of the late 1960s to combine artistic expression with the logic of step-by-step form formation.
• Although Soviet ideology often constrained the diversity of expression, the idea of phased, structured work organization remains a key tool in any creative activity.

In summary, the historical insight into phased development, recognized as early as the late 1960s, continues to underpin successful projects. The unique contribution of the Ukrainian artist to the aesthetics of industrial design underscores the universal and flexible nature of this approach.

Sources

1. Rosenblyum, E. A. (1974). The Artist in Design: Experience of the Central Educational and Experimental Studio of Artistic Design in Senezh (176 p., 24 ill.). — Art.