Designing for the Everyday: Lessons from IKEA’s Product and Digital Worlds

We usually don’t think of IKEA as a source of design inspiration for digital products, but honestly? We should. Their approach to product design is basically a crash course in usability, clarity, and designing with real people in mind. And that translates surprisingly well into UI/UX design. 

IKEA had a huge digital change over the last few years, which had a big impact on its UX capabilities and strategy. This change involved more than just implementing e-commerce; it also involved reimagining teams, technology, and processes with agility and customer-centricity. Important elements that have a direct impact on UX results include implementing agile development.

Because here’s the thing: regardless of what it is that you’re building, your job as a designer is the same: helping people get stuff done without making it harder than it needs to be. And this is exactly what IKEA is doing. From their basic instructions to their digital platforms, it’s all designed to feel intuitive and simple.

So I figured, why not break down a few actual lessons we can steal from IKEA and apply them to UI design, web design, and everything in between?

IKEA is famous for its wordless furniture instructions. Some people hate them, some people love them, but either way, they’re a masterclass in visual communication. They guide you through building a complex object without needing a simple sentence. 

The same energy should go into your user interface. If someone needs a tutorial to understand how to use your product, I hate to break it to you… But something’s probably off. You need new design inspiration!

One of the reasons IKEA works so well is that they’re making realistic designs.  For example, designs for small apartments, messy kitchens, and busy families. Not some perfect showroom scenario. Their products solve practical problems, not fantasy ones. 

That mindset should carry into digital, too. In UI/UX design, you’re not designing for your ideal persona who reads every tooltip and clicks all the right buttons. You’re designing for someone who’s tired, distracted, maybe holding their phone with one hand while ordering food. A good user experience means meeting people where they are.

IKEA has built a business around solving problems like “how do I fit a wardrobe into a 2x2 room?” Their response? Smart, compact, foldable furniture that doesn’t waste space. They treat constraints like creative fuel.

In web design and UI design, you should do the same. Don’t fight the limits, work with them.

IKEA gives you the parts, the tools, and the instructions. You build it. And yeah, sometimes it takes an hour and you question everything, but you end up with a product that feels yours. That sense of control is powerful.

Now think about your app design. Instead of dumping everything on users at once, give them small, manageable pieces. Let them customize, skip steps, or come back later. Whether it’s a setup process or a dashboard, the more modular and flexible your design is, the less overwhelming it feels. That’s a win for user experience!

IKEA doesn’t seem to have a problem with small spaces. They treat them as a design brief, and you should do it too! Every product is optimized to work within real-world limits,  which often leads to smarter and more creative solutions. 

Digital design is no different. You’re working with different screen sizes, loading speeds. And instead of avoiding them, let them guide you. In web design and UI design, constraints aren’t the enemy. They’re your best friend!

Now, try and implement this in your process of product design. In UI/UX design, it’s important that we offer a consistent user experience, no matter what the demand is. 

On top of everything, instead of pushing their products, IKEA tells a story with every product. Whether it’s a family getting their home ready for a new baby or a couple transforming their small space into a cozy corner, IKEA gives the customers what they need. Feeling seen, understood. 

IKEA manuals are not dependent on languages. Simple, straight-to-the-point illustrations help everyone understand the process/tutorial without any obstacles. 

IKEA’s storytelling is, on top of everything, relatable. And that’s the most fascinating thing about it. And clearly… It’s working! 

IKEA's commitment to incorporating feedback into their product design exemplifies the critical role that user experience plays in creating successful products. Feedback is not just a tool for improvement; it is a cornerstone of effective UX design that fosters customer engagement and loyalty. 

By prioritizing feedback, companies like IKEA not only enhance their products but also build lasting loyalty and trust with their audience. This approach not only leads to better products but also transforms customers into advocates and ultimately drives long-term success for the brand.

IKEA’s brand is not just blue and yellow. It’s the way every product, shelf, checkout lane, and website feels like part of the same system. Everything aligns with the experience they want you to have. 

That same consistency is golden in digital. I suggest you look beyond color and typography. Instead, focus on tone, motion, and interaction patterns. The more consistent your product feels, the more confident users feel when navigating it.

IKEA proves that simple doesn’t have to mean boring. Their designs are straightforward but always a little clever. A hidden shelf, a reversible panel, or an unexpected feature that solves a problem without shouting about it 

That’s the energy you need to bring into UI/UX design. Simplicity isn’t minimalism.

A clean, well-thought-out user interface will always be way more expressive than something overloaded and overcrowded. 

We at uinkits understand the importance of great user experiences and creating amazing UI designs. That’s why we’ve developed a Figma UI Kit with design components that include these essential UI elements that enable you to design intuitive and user-friendly interfaces effortlessly.

“You press the button, we do the rest.” – Kodak.

Inspired by this iconic tagline from Kodak, we believe in simplifying the design process for you. Our Figma UI Kit, uinkits, is a complete design system with UI components that allows you, as a UI UX designer, to create your products as quickly as pressing a button.

Our design system includes UI components, icons, variables, cards, buttons and everything you need for your design process. All you have to do is take your UI design component needed, and you’re ready to use it in your designs!