From Star Trek to Star Wars, I sometimes wonder if every spaceship is just an iteration of something that has come before it—much like they say there are no original stories. I firmly believe that every spaceship is a character in its own right, each with its own personality, much like comparing a '60s Camaro to a 2024 Chevy Corvette. Both say something different about the time and place they belong to, and about the person who owns them. Even though both are muscle cars, the person who would buy a '60s Camaro might not be the same person who would choose the Corvette.
As I iterate and create, I often think about the user. What kind of character would use this item—in this case, the spaceship? What does the design of the spaceship reveal about the character or the race of beings that pilot it? Preconceived notions arise automatically just from its appearance. What story does the ship tell about the characters?
I've been trying to figure out what a spaceship used by cats would look like (inside & out)... I know my cats would need many boxes to sit in!