AirFrame

Role: Principal Design Manager, Joseph Joseph

This project was developed during my time as Principal Design Manager at Joseph Joseph, where I led product strategy and development, aligning design, engineering and manufacturing teams to bring innovative products from insight to market.

Insight

Indoor drying is a challenge for space-constrained homes. Traditional concertina airers offer compact storage but sacrifice drying capacity and usability, while larger winged formats require more floor space than many homes can accommodate. As airers fill, difficult-to-reach rails and overlapping garments make loading cumbersome and restrict airflow, while poor-quality mechanisms and construction lead to frustration, damage and short product lifespans.

Opportunity

Rethink the familiar concertina format to create a more capable and considered drying solution, one that maximises capacity within a compact footprint while making garments easier to load, access and organise. The opportunity was to improve not just the performance of the airer, but the entire experience of using, folding and storing it.

Solution

AirFrame™ introduces a sliding scissor mechanism with offset horizontal tiers, creating 21 metres of drying space while maintaining a compact footprint. The tiered structure improves access to each rail and allows longer garments to hang cleanly without overlapping. A controlled locking mechanism makes opening and closing intuitive and finger-safe, while the integrated foot doubles as a carry handle when folded. Generous steel profiles and a refined construction deliver greater durability and a longer product life.

Outcome

Launched in Spring 2026 across two sizes, AirFrame™ secured strong retailer buy-in at launch. The product redefines the traditional concertina airer by combining significantly greater capacity with improved ergonomics, safe operation and long-term durability, creating a more compelling solution for modern, space-constrained homes.