World Industrial Design Day is a holiday that’s observed annually on June 29th. This day marks the anniversary of the World Design Organization (WDO), formerly known as the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) during the mid-1950s.

This non-governmental organization supports and vigorously promotes design as a key driver of sustainability, competitiveness, and innovation. The WDO also promotes ethical practices, professional standards, and design education around the world.

This holiday is a powerful tool in their arsenal for accomplishing these goals and others. Of course, people don’t have to be a part of this organization to celebrate this holiday. After all, industrial design affects us all.

The History of World Industrial Design Day

On June 29th, 2007, the first World Industrial Design Day was created by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design. The date of this holiday was chosen to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the creation of this organization.

The purpose of this day was to promote the importance of industrial design as a profession. Its secondary goal was to raise awareness about the role that design plays in shaping human history and civilization. In 2017, the International Council of Design (ICO-D) was formed when ICSID and the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ICOGRADA) merged.

This is when World Industrial Design Day was renamed to World Design Day, although many people (including us) still refer to it by its previous designation. The name of ICSID was changed that year as well to the World Design Organization.

Observing World Industrial Design Day

This holiday is celebrated globally, so people can expect a wide variety of different events that they can attend. These include exhibitions from international design organizations, design competitions, public lectures, workshops, educational programs, and even social media campaigns using the hashtag #WorldIndustrialDesignDay.