IKEA Place, is an augmented reality (AR) application that lets people confidently experience, experiment and share how good design transforms any space, such as a home, office, school or studio. From sofas and armchairs to coffee tables, all of the products in IKEA Place are 3D and true to scale so that every choice is just the right size, design and function.
Creative Execution
In the course of 3 months our global team managed to conceptualise, design, develop and launch IKEA Place as one of the first ARKit apps in the app store.
Our approach of the design has been to create an experience that feels as natural and intuitive as possible. IKEA is after all for the many. We’ve focused on bringing the IKEA brand to life trough small details while making sure the core experience is so simple, almost invisible —allowing people to focus on unleashing their imagination.
For most people, IKEA Place will be their first interaction with AR.
When designing the app our focus has been to design a natural and familiar interface using traditional UI elements and conversational interfaces in context of the camera.
In this way people will know what to expect and feel confident when placing their first virtual object in real-life.
Sounds are inspired and made using wood making the app feel responsive, human and organic. Haptic feedback are used in key interactions to confirm e.g the placement of a chair.
Interactions and sounds are supported with animations that make the experience feel more realistic. (e.g placing furniture).
With the launch of iOS11 and ARKit, Apple's CEO Tim Cook visited Good Morning America and showcased IKEA Place.
Currently the app is available in more than 25 countries and has gained a mass amount of press around the globe such as: WIRED, The New York Times, CNN and many more.
Over 4,100 articles published on the app to date.
500.000 downloads since launch.
IKEA Place has established itself as a new platform for IKEA to engage with it's customers in a more playful and contextual way.
IKEA Place is rooted in IKEA's democratic approach to design and goal of making a better everyday life for the many people. Allowing the many people to virtually place furniture in their own homes will help them unleash their imagination of home furnishing. While at the same time enabling IKEA to “open” millions of new showrooms globally trough people’s smartphones. The power of the smartphone and augmented reality brings IKEA closer to the people and people closer to IKEA.
In the future, the app will play a key role in the launch of new product lines and in general be a platform for experimenting with new bold ideas.