This past October 8th, the Industrial Design Day (IDD) marked a significant turning point, both in scale and content. The move to the Disseny Hub Barcelona and its official inclusion in the Barcelona Design Week program provided greater visibility and capacity.

The growth reflects the sector's interest in the IDD agenda: Attendance almost doubled, rising from 80 attendees in the previous edition to nearly 200 professionals this year.

THE HIGHLIGHTS: SOUL, SQUAD, AND THE LOGITECH MASTERCLASS

The 2025 edition went straight to the core, tackling the urgent questions of human value in a hyper-digital world.

1. The Human Factor: Intuition over Algorithms

The main event was a masterclass by Nick Jinkinson, Global Head of Industrial Design at Logitech. His key takeaway? AI is a tool, not a replacement. While algorithms provide infinite possibilities, the human touch, empathy, and refined intuition are the ultimate hard-skills. As he put it: the tools evolve, but the taste and criteria of the designer remain the core asset. Humans: 1. AI: 0.

2. Democratizing Design: The Affordable Premium Formula

The live interview with Francesc Julià, CEO of Kave Home, was a case study in market disruption. Kave Home is rewriting the rulebook on premium by making good design accessible. Their "durable fashion brand" approach, rooted in the affordable premium and kilometer zero philosophy, showed how to build a brand with soul that still hits the mass market.

3. The Innovation Engine: 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 big corps doesn't need layers; it needs generosity. The key is co-creation and sharing ideas openly and early. Decentralizing ownership accelerates the innovative process and empowers the teams faster than any budget increase.

4. The Total Coherence: Branding & Design

Our own Roc Miranda (Lucid_) alongside Marisol Ruiz (Move Branding) hammered home the point: a complete fusion of 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 INNOVATION POWER

The panels brought the heavy hitters to the ring, covering everything from corporate innovation dynamics to the subtle art of CMF.

• Innovating Dynamics: Curiosity vs. Capital: The panel featuring experts from HP, Laerdal Medical, Simon, and Invisible concluded that the size of your budget doesn’t guarantee innovation. True innovation squads are born from curiosity. Speed and risk aversion are influenced by scale, but the drive is purely human.
• Designing Objects with Soul (CMF + Function): The debate with leaders from Teka, Lékué, Yonoh, and Lucid_ confirmed that function is the base, but design is the multiplier. They agreed: current social trends push us toward a minimal and clear aesthetic, making brand consistency in CMF non-negotiable.

THE WRAP-UP: NEXT LEVEL, ACHIEVED.

IDD 2025 was more than a record-breaking success; it was a powerful statement. We showcased 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, the 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 break it again.