IKEA PLANNER
Planning is something that is core to the IKEA experience. It can range from complex kitchen solutions to creating a better understanding of what goes well with your new sofa. When IKEA reached out to us its current approach was a bit clunky, not fully anchored in the needs of the customer and didn't leverage the evolving technology landscape.
Through a set of projects, we explored both what an ideal in-store experience would look like, as well as how to better support people at home. We prototyped and tested our way throughout the whole journey.
Below you will find some snippets from this journey that landed with us working closely with them to develop and deploy a new set of planning tools that has become the new standard on how to best approach this.
2014
MY ROLE
Project lead
Prototyping
UX design
Research
How might we create a set of tools that creates a delightful and seamless planning experience?
WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT IF…
IKEA planning tools gave every customer secret superpowers when it comes to home furnishing?
…so we approached this in a very
IDEO + IKEA way by…
DESIGNING WITH THE
MANY PEOPLE
MAKING PROTOTYPES FROM DAY ONE
DESIGNING ON THE
SHOP FLOOR
Where we landed
An overview of all prototypes tested with customers and co-workers
Let's dig in to one of the prototypes
BLOCKET & PENNA
THE NEW WAY TO PLAN & SHOP AT IKEA
The Block and Penna experience
HYPOTHESIS PENNA
1. Using the PENNA makes it more fun to collect items in the store.
2. Easy collection increases the number of items on the shopping list.
HYPOTHESIS BLOCK
3. Making it easy to visually review collected items is desirable
4. Reviewing collected items increases planning confidence.
Build and Test
To be able to test these hypotheses, among many, we needed to create tools that enable our users to experience them. Through quick iterative loops, we came up with a set of prototypes that allowed us to test these experiences in-store with real customers.
Testing
Bringing out the prototypes to get real feedback from customers going about their shopping journeys at IKEA.
FINDINGS
Making permission to play tangible
IKEA is known for its playful approach but this is made real with the tools in store
Making practical decision-making (not just browsing) playful, simple and fun
An invitation to the full spectrum of shoppers
Turning solo stress into collaboration
Oftentimes, the fun stops when decision-making starts during an IKEA trip
One shopper takes over (although wants to share responsibility)
Tools invite all companions to be involved and engaged through role-sharing
Main outcomes
SIX HIGH FIDELITY PROTOTYPES
Tested and itterated together with customers and co-workers.
A NEW SET OF SERVICES
Empowering both customers and co-workers to create better solutions.
NEW WAYS TO INTEGRATE AI
Putting IKEAs 70+ years of home furnishing expertise in the hands of the customer.
A NEW WAY TO PLAN
Deployed across all of IKEA as the new way to support customers find solutions they love.