Ikea's great leap forward

ALMHULT — Can mass production and hipster culture, with its fixation on the artisanal, analogue and aesthetically pleasing, co-exist happily ever after? Well, if Ikea has its way, it looks like the answer is a resounding “yes”. The small town of Almhult, Sweden, population 16,000, received a small swell in its numbers when 239 reporters from 31 countries descended upon the headquarters of the furniture giant for a sneak peek at its new collections and ideas for the next few years. Not only did the event have its own hashtag (#ikeatoday), it transformed a former warehouse space within the upcoming Ikea museum — to be opened next year — into an arena worthy of a rock concert for its key spokespeople to take to the stage.

DESIGN MANTRA

Ikea jumped right into its plans for the future. “We want to be a better Ikea for customers, for our co-workers and for society at large. It’s about building better products and giving better offers,” said Ikea Group chief executive officer Peter Agnefjall.

To that end, range and supply manager of Ikea Group Jesper Brodin elaborated on the five pillars of the brand’s Democratic Design — form, function, low price, quality and sustainability — a concept which was articulated last year that would guide product development.

Brodin told TODAY that some of these principles have always been part of Ikea’s ethos since its founder Ingvar Kamprad first started the company selling pens and postcards in 1943 before moving into furniture in 1948.

“Democratic Design is a mirror of our business. Low price and functionality have always been there, and over the years, we realised the power of beauty and trying to become better in quality,” said Brodin, who pointed out that Japanese car manufacturers showed the world it was possible to be both cost-efficient and high in quality. “Sustainability came last as most people weren’t thinking about the end of our resources (until recent decades) but it fits well with our tradition and culture because this region in Sweden (Smaland) has for hundreds of years been one where people hate to waste things.”

While there’ll always be tension among these five elements, Brodin feels the emphasis on meeting all of them is a challenge which would elevate Ikea’s offerings. “Ikea is raising our ambitions so it’s more difficult for new products to come into our offerings. This is good for customers,” he said. “At the end of the day, ambition is fun as it drives a lot of things.”

PARTNERSHIPS, PRODUCTS AND PLAY

That ambition has led to 20 new design collaborations, which were unveiled on Democratic Design Day. Yes, Ikea is definitely going the way of its fellow Swede fashion counterpart H&M when it comes to the scale of its collaborations. Incidentally, fashion is one key area Ikea is tapping into. The company managed to snag names such as Walter Van Beirendonck (of the acclaimed Antwerp Six, a group of avant garde Belgian fashion designers who hail from The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp) to do a series of prints for stationery, textiles and porcelain ware; as well as London-based menswear designer Katie Eary who’s known for her irrelevant digital prints to put her stamp on dinnerware, lampshades and cushions.

“We have decided to open up Ikea to more collaborations with ingenious and passionate people who share our vision of creating great and affordable products,” said Marcus Engman, design manager at Ikea of Sweden.

For someone like Eary, this was an opportunity that she couldn’t pass up. “There are so many products I could play with and it’s so new for me,” she revealed. “I absolutely love furniture and interiors — it’s a dream for me to be able to do something like that.”

Other collaborations incorporated traditional craftsmanship and drew on the cultural heritage of different countries: The Viktigt collection designed by Swedish glass designer Ingegerd Raman was done in Vietnam where products such as stools and lamps are made with local materials like bamboo and water hyacinth while the Svartan collection, a partnership with textile designer Martin Bergstrom and the students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi, explored the modern Indian textures and heritage.

Collaborations aside, Ikea showcased new collections and products borne from the findings of its research on Life at Home. Expect to see flexible kitchenware to meet the changing needs of urban dwellers who spend less time eating in their dining rooms, unique pieces — ironically thanks to the mass production quirks like colour unevenness — and furnishings of a natural tactile nature such as butcher’s blocks arising from consumers’ demands for more analogue, emotional and sustainable ways of living in a digital age. Even children are given attention with a new toy collection and books created for them.

“From our Play report where we interviewed 30,000 parents and children, we realise that parents want to play more with their kids at home so we’ve got products for that from costumes to board games and even an app,” said Cindy Andersen, business area manager of Children’s Ikea.

THE WAY FORWARD

Ikea’s relentless drive to create “a better everyday life for the many” is also harnessing the technology that pervades our lifestyles. It is not just stopping at wireless charging furniture which has been already launched in Europe and will be available in Singapore early 2016.

Next year will see a second Home Smart Collection that allows your lighting to mimic the glow of a sunrise while your coffee is automatically brewed with just a touch of an app. And in the works is a Concept Kitchen 2025 that includes a smart kitchen countertop that recognises ingredients and displays suggested recipes for them.

If you think these sound like the furthest thing from the ubiquitous flat-packed Billy bookcases, you’re right. But, Ikea’s ambition is a good thing. Especially if it means more affordable pretty stuff for your Pinterest page.