IKEA.com was a new initiative to create a definitive brand experience. A place where IKEA could share its unique outlook, talk home furnishing, and dive deep into product stories. If market sites sell furniture, IKEA.com was to sell IKEA. My role was to develop the visual identity and creative direction, develop our UX strategy, and design templates for stories.
IKEA wanted a platform and voice to tell engaging stories to customers. At the time, there wasn't a digital space to be the voice of IKEA or the products. And most importantly, customers weren't exposed to the stories of unique products, collections, and families.
I wanted to tell the stories that weren’t being told in a way that they’ve never been told. I approached each new story with fresh eyes and ears so it was given the room to speak for itself. Unique entry points, animation, and expressive design and copy all contribute to their effectiveness.
I interviewed many colleagues at IKEA—designers, writers, and content developers—to really get a sense of what kinds of stories needed to be told. Together as a small design team, we ideated, prototyped, worked alongside developers, tested, and iterated on every aspect of IKEA.com.
IKEA.com is a very successful project with millions of active visitors, content that drives sales, and countless passionate supporters. It started a discussion internally that changed the way other digital product teams approach their design, created a platform to spread the IKEA outlook, and became an example internally of how to create an effective brand experience with a small team.
