Last October 8, Industrial Design Day (IDD) marked a turning point, both in scale and content. The move to Disseny Hub Barcelona and its official inclusion in the Barcelona Design Week program gave us more visibility and capacity.

The growth is a reflection of the industry's interest in the IDD agenda: attendance nearly doubled from 80 attendees in the previous edition to nearly 200 this year.

HIGHLIGHTS: SOUL, SQUAD, AND THE LOGITECH MASTERCLASS

The 2025 edition got straight to the point, attacking pressing questions about human value in a hyperdigital world.

1. The human factor: intuition over algorithms.

The highlight was a masterclass by Nick Jinkinson, Global Head of Industrial Design at Logitech. His key takeaway? AI is a tool, not a substitute. Algorithms give infinite possibilities, yes, but the human touch, empathy and refined intuition are the ultimate hard-skills. As he said: tools evolve, but the designer's taste and judgment remain the central asset. Humans: 1. AI: 0.

2. Democratizing Design: The Affordable Premium Formula

The interview with Francesc Julià, CEO of Kave Home, was a textbook example of market disruption. Kave Home is rewriting the rules of premium by making good design accessible. Their "enduring fashion brand" approach, based on affordable premium and zero kilometer philosophy, demonstrated how to build a brand with soul while conquering the mass market.

3. The engine of innovation: generosity is the accelerator.

During the short talks, Robert Ruiz, Global R&D Head for Smart Devices and Appliances at Henkel, stressed that innovation in large corporations does not need layers; it needs generosity. The key is co-creation and open and early sharing of ideas. Decentralizing ownership accelerates the innovative process and empowers teams faster than any budget increase.

4. Total coherence: brand and design

Roc Miranda (Lúcid_) together with Marisol Ruiz (Move Branding) stressed the same point: the total fusion between product and brand is crucial. Design is the unified voice that adds personality and real value in a saturated market.

DEBATE ON FIRE: BRAND, SOUL AND POWER OF INNOVATION

Discussions brought in the heavyweights, covering everything from corporate innovation dynamics to the subtle art of CMF.

• Innovative dynamics: curiosity VS capital: The panel with experts from HP, Laerdal Medical, Simon and Invisible concluded that the size of your budget does not guarantee innovation. True innovation squads are born out of curiosity. Speed and risk aversion are influenced by scale, but motivation is purely human.
• Designing objects with soul CMF + function): Discussion with leaders from Teka, Lékué, Yonoh and Lucid_ confirmed that function is the foundation, but design is the multiplier. They agreed: current social trends push us towards a minimalist and clear aesthetic, making brand consistency in CMF non-negotiable.

CLOSURE: NEXT LEVEL, REACHED.

IDD 2025 was more than an unprecedented success; it was a statement of intent. We proved that, even in the age of generative AI, empathy, curiosity and the courage to integrate brand and product are the irreplaceable assets of the industrial designer.

At Lucid, we believe that design is the engine of innovation and human connection. This year, Industrial Design Day proved that the best design is always the one with a human signature.

See you next year. The bar has been set, and we're ready to raise it again.