I joined Electrolux Professional to tackle a critical safety problem on the Carlsberg beer cooler production line.

For over 30 years, operators were exposed to high-temperature foam, causing recurring injuries.

Our mission was to design safer human–machine interactions. We aimed to reduce behavioral risk by applying UX methodology to an industrial context, ensuring safety without impacting production flow.

High-temperature operation and continuous manual interaction made physical separation impossible. The solution had to fit current machinery without production downtime.

The resulting functional safety guard acts as a physical and cognitive barrier. It abstracts the complexity of high-heat zones, making the operation intuitive and significantly safer.

Question

How might we reduce human error in high-stress production lines?

By mapping the operator's mental model during the foaming process, we identified that tactile feedback was more critical than visual alerts.

Question

How might we validate safety solutions without stopping a 24/7 line?

We used rapid lo-fi prototyping with industrial-grade materials to run 'shadow tests' during shift changes.

Question

How might we evolve the UX mindset internally?

By presenting data-driven safety metrics alongside qualitative feedback, we bridged the gap between engineering and human-centered design.