Published 08 August 2017 • Inter IKEA newsroom
IKEA unearths the pioneers taking living to the next level
Creating a happy life at home isn’t always easy – but there are some individuals who take living to the next level. IKEA calls them Home Pioneers, and believes anyone can be motivated to tackle their home frustrations by learning about their unique approach.
With the full story set to be revealed this autumn, the fourth edition of the global Life at Home Report will demonstrate how the brand generates deep understanding about what drives people’s needs, desires and decisions when it comes to life at home. Building on the elements revealed through the last report – that life at home is anchored around place, space, relationships and things – this year’s research has unearthed a unique set of people, from all over the world, who are true pioneers on the home front.
Lydia Choi-Johansson, Intelligence Specialist, Inter IKEA Systems, says:
“Over the years we’ve gathered a lot of research about the practical things people need to make life at home better, so this year we want to dig deep into how people really feel about home, from the highs to the lows. This perspective has already revealed that some people stand out from the crowd thanks to their radically different way of thinking. They are ‘super fans’ of life at home, and we think we can learn a lot from them.”
A number of the Home Pioneers live in places which feel quite out of the ordinary, including a renovated warship, a blueberry farm, a wooden eco-dome tucked away in a forest, and the back of a van. Yet, despite the wide variety of dwellings and cultures, many of the Home Pioneers are united by a common set of values and behaviours which shape their life at home.
Ahead of the full report in October, IKEA has released a short teaser series called ‘Home Pioneer Hints’ on social media to give a glimpse into what the research will reveal. These practical pointers are just some of the insights being generated from the biggest Life at Home research project IKEA has undertaken yet. To date, it has involved more than 800 hours of research with thousands of participants in seven countries, including home visits, video blogging, online communities, and a co-creation workshop which brought 16 of the Home Pioneers from Japan, China, India, Russia, Germany, Denmark, and the USA together for the first time.
Lydia continues:
“This has been our most extensive and ambitious Life at Home research project yet, so we couldn’t wait to share some of the gems we’re uncovered. We’re still exploring the themes from our research, including learning to live together, our relationship to stuff and how we manage a life in transition. What’s clear is that Home Pioneers can help us put new light on old problems, so we can’t wait to reveal everything later this year.”