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World Industrial Design Day: A reminder to design products around people
29 June 2026Held annually on 29 June and established by the World Design Organization, World Industrial Design Day celebrates the role industrial design plays in driving innovation, supporting sustainability and creating products that are functional, intuitive and useful.
At its best, industrial design is about more than aesthetics. It’s about understanding how people interact with products and developing solutions that make those interactions easier, safer and more efficient. A project that perfectly demonstrates this approach is Procare 247AIR - a smart, automated hair foil dispenser designed for professional salons to streamline foil cutting and folding - designed and developed by GX for Procare.
Designing a tool around the people who use it
247AIR was created to solve a very real problem faced by hairdressers and colourists today. By combining intelligent digital controls with pioneering Airflow Technology, it automatically cuts and folds foil to help deliver faster, more consistent colour services.
GX approached the challenge from a human-centred perspective. Instead of starting with the mechanism, the team sought input from professional hairdressers to understand their common pain points and how we could augment their abilities in the day-to-day. This insight shaped every aspect of the design.
A product engineered for comfort, control and efficiency
The result was 247AIR , an innovative, ergonomic dispenser that helps eliminate sticking, supports smoother application and keeps colour appointments moving efficiently. Engineered to bring greater precision and consistency to every colour service, it dispenses only the foil required, helping minimise unnecessary waste while supporting a smarter workflow.
By combining industrial design, engineering, prototyping and user testing, GX created a tool that not only performs better but also more reliably and sustainably too.
This is industrial design at its most effective, solving real problems through thoughtful, user focused innovation.
Human‑centred design at the heart of innovation
Whether developing packaging tools, medical devices or consumer products, successful industrial design always begins with understanding the needs of the end user.
As we celebrate World Industrial Design Day, projects like 247AIR highlight the power of good design to bridge the gap between innovation and usability, turning practical challenges into elegant, effective solutions.
Learn more about the 247AIR project and how GX helps organisations bring innovative products to life here. Alternatively, to find out how we can help you, call +44 (0)1291 673437 or email us, and a member of our team will be in touch.