Project Team @ Brobygrafiska
| Carolina J. Säll | Sanna Morén | Louise Sundström |
|---|---|---|
| UI/UX Designer | UI/UX Designer | UI/UX Designer |
| Product Designer | Product Designer | Product Designer |
| Copywriting | Illustration | Video |
Brobygrafiska + IKEA Open Innovation Challenge = A Perfect Match
The brief: develop a digital solution for IKEA that incorporates RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and NFC (Near Field Communication) technology.
And what could be more fitting for a company whose motto includes the phrase:
“Most things remain to be done. Glorious future!”
We couldn’t agree more. But why stop there?
AR (Augmented Reality) is a technology that’s been booming recently—and when used well, it can unlock entirely new experiences. Our team explored how these technologies might come together to enhance the IKEA experience.
Understanding the User
In true IKEA spirit, we began by asking the people closest to the brand: its employees and customers. Their feedback? They were mostly content. But during our analysis of a typical day at the store, we noticed a specific group being left out of the experience.
Children aged 8–13.
They’re too old for Småland (IKEA’s supervised play area), yet too young to enjoy the home shopping experience—unless it involves their own bedroom. This is a prime audience: highly engaged, curious, and increasingly tech-savvy. Making IKEA fun for them means making IKEA fun for the whole family.
The Idea: IKEA Challenge
These kids are digital natives—used to interactive, tech-driven environments. What if we offered them a playful AR-based experience? Something they could engage with throughout their visit to the store, without straying too far from their parents?
Let us introduce: IKEA Challenge.
A location-based, augmented-reality game that accompanies children as they move through the store—turning shopping into a collaborative, educational, and fun experience for the whole family.
Why It Works
We identified three key technologies for our concept:
- RFID
- NFC
- AR
These are affordable, simple, and environmentally friendly—perfectly aligned with IKEA’s values, including:
“Taking responsibility is a privilege.”
We asked ourselves: how could these technologies realistically be integrated into the current IKEA shopping experience? And would customers actually use them?
The answer: yes.
Why? Watch the short concept video here.