There’s rarely worse pain in life than stepping on a stray LEGO block (and I speak from experience). First-world problems, right? Yet, it’s sad so many floors are littered with LEGOs. We could blame the kiddos, but… we buy the LEGOs, encourage their imagination and, dogonit, there’ll be time to have a clean house after…
Now that the Jony Ive dust has settled, we are back to routine. No one is hurt, the show must go on. And so must the endless cups of coffee. Before you turn your attention to the next chapter on your book. Do take a look at the week that was. Great stuff, we loved…
Hold onto your Swedish meatballs and lingonberry jam—the marketing team at IKEA is at it again. And no, they didn’t create self-assembling furniture…yet. If you’re a fan of the GRÖNLID, the LIDHULT, or the SÖDERHAMN sofas, designing your next setup can now be done sans CAD via your trusty laptop keyboard. Yes—the same keyboard you…
Did we hear you say that you’re exhausted due to the festivities? We got your back! Relax, kick your feet up on the lounger and take a few sips of pinacolada. Yes, this heat is killing all of us, but the sweltering digest for this week is super hottt too. Yup, talking about the week…
Ever since they announced they would be making customized 3D printed chairs for gamers, IKEA has been slowly entering the gaming peripheral market. Now, in collaboration with UNYQ, a worldwide prosthetic company, and Swedish e-sports company, Area Academy, they are finally working on products which aren’t just meant for setting your bottom on. Announced by…
Swedish furniture company Ikea has been on a problem-solving roll lately. After working on 3D printed gaming chairs for sensitive rears and the more recent ThisAbles project which features accessible furniture for the disabled, the company now has its sights set on helping those lacking personal space in small urban dwellings. ROGNAN is an upcoming…
Known famously for their ready-to-assemble flat pack furniture, Swedish manufacturer IKEA isn’t exactly famous for being user-friendly for people with disabilities. Not only do you have to set up the products yourself, but some of the company’s lamps and cabinets have small switches or handles which are too difficult to work with for someone with…
Seeing as the gaming community spends the majority of their time in front of a desk or television sitting down, it’s usually their gluteus maximus which get the most exercise. But when you’re sucked into a game of Overwatch, Battlefield, or DOTA 2, chances are you won’t have the luxury of thinking about small things…
From the terrifying Terminator-like models from Boston Dynamics to the slightly less terrifying ice cream-serving Yaskawa-kun in Japan, there’s no denying that the age of robot assistance is upon us. That said, just like humans—no two robot models are the same. And what better way to test the dexterity of one robot from another than…
SkillCoach is a new series where Product Dev. Professional, Vince Haley, provides a virtual design critique of a new design or submission we’ve received. Give us your feedback in the comments! Connect with Vince on Linkedin here. Have a design you would like to submit for a review and critique? Contact us here. Welcome to…
You know something has gone mainstream when IKEA starts to sell it. And no, I’m not talking about fried onions and cream sauce. Try smart home products. Called Trådfri, the internet-connected smart lighting system is the company’s first foray into the home automation market—which is currently dominated by products including Philips Hue and Nest. At…
From converting a cheap wood dining room table into the ultimate productivity station to repurposing lamp components into clever light fixtures, there are very few things that cannot be done with IKEA’s expansive product line and a creative mind. Despite a growing community of IKEA Hackers, however, the company has never formally encouraged these hacks—as…
As if spending an afternoon assembling IKEA furniture isn’t already a kick in the pants, imagine doing so while navigating your way around the Dark Side of the Moon under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs. Such is the premise of the aptly named new YouTube series HIKEA. Created by NYC-based creatives Hunter Fine and Alex…
Although ready-to-assemble furniture first emerged in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the majority of flatpack furniture as we know it didn’t come until later when Gillis Lundgren, a Swedish draughtsman, wanted to design a table that he could fit inside of his car. Soon after, Lundgren had created a ready-to-assemble table that he presented…
Despite being the best building set around, LEGO brick creations are limited to one’s own imagination and rarely ever manifest into full-scale products – assuming one’s job doesn’t involve designing for Legoland. Although it’s certainly a few decades late for the majority of us who dreamt up spaceships of all shapes and sizes, a new…
Starting next month, some flat-pack college dorm furniture may be more design and environmentally-savvy than that table you bought last year that you swore would be handed down to your grandchildren. Thankfully, the flat-pack furniture in question won’t take too much of a dent out of your wallet in the case that you want to…