IKEA Today

, 06.05.21

Jorge on bringing out the inner child for designing toys

There is a child in all of us, or so they say. Jorge Omar Santoyo Henaine can vouch for that. The product developer has managed to not only keep his inner child alive but also brimming with creative ideas. We ask him how? Jorge says for each toy that he creates at IKEA, he asks the child in him – would you like to play with this one? If the answer is yes, he goes ahead with it.

, 03.05.21

Collaborating with start-ups for a more sustainable food offer

As one of the world’s largest food providers, IKEA has set a goal that 50 per cent of the main meals offered in its restaurants will be plant-based by 2025. Puneet Trehan, as part of a core team in IKEA, is now looking for start-ups that can help IKEA reach the goals and at the same time offer delicious and affordable meals.

Collaborations

, 13.04.21

Jewellery for the home

They both love to surround themselves with things that make them feel happy, empowered, and comfortable. We talked with Zandra Rhodes and Paulin Machado about self-expression, creating a home, and how the pleated metal jewellery and fabric Zandra brought to Sweden resulted in KARISMATISK products.

, 08.04.21

Covering an icon in denim to be more sustainable

The love for denim will probably never go out of style. Yet from a sustainability perspective, most jeans produced end up in landfills. That’s why IKEA is now joining hands with the Dutch denim brand MUD Jeans, creating a limited-edition KLIPPAN sofa cover using an innovative method that gives new life to both sofas and worn-out jeans.

, 31.03.21

Rising like a rainbow

A few colours, music and a bit of heart can help us connect with others in more ways than we can imagine. IKEA co-worker Shin Suzuki did precisely that. He put his heart into creating a combination of rainbow colours and ENEBY speakers to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. What he created in 2019 will soon be available in IKEA stores for customers to take home and take pride in who we are.

Interviews

, 25.03.21

Linus on creativity and the importance of being an underdog

An ad stating, “The brain wants to have fun”, has influenced Linus Karlsson in more ways than he could foresee when he saw the ad some 30 years ago. We talked to Linus about his new role as Chief Creative Officer for IKEA, about athletes being super creatives and his secret goal for creativity.

Prototyping

, 23.03.21

A furniture range for the people, by the people

If your home can be the way you want it, why not your office too? At least that’s how Emma believes offices in the future will be like. We talked to her about the future IKEA office range, inspirations from customers and finding a good balance between design and functionality.

Interviews

, 10.03.21

Friso on creating value-based designs

IKEA designer Friso Wiersma believes in keeping things simple. So, when we wanted to understand what makes him so wonderfully creative, he shared his two secrets on creativity. The key, for him, lies in understanding a need and then identifying the feasibility of the best idea to fulfil that need.

, 25.02.21

Per and Bastian on giving iconic objects a new function

Humans since 1982, Stockholm-based Per Emanuelsson and Bastian Bischoff, aren’t much for labels. Rather than calling themselves designers, artists or engineers, they want to be free to focus on the multifaceted nature of being human, in any way they like.

Jorge on bringing out the inner child for designing toys

Welcome behind the scenes at IKEA product development