Overview

Challenge

Conceptualize a new IKEA program which might meet the needs of college and graduate students. Emphasize ways the move-in and move-out process can improve and become more sustainable.

Context

Recently, IKEA committed to becoming a “circular” business by 2030 in hopes to be more environmentally responsible and sustainable. IKEA has defined the “circular” model as a model that emphasizes “reuse, refurbish, remanufacture, and recycle” – the opposite from their current linear model of “take, make, waste”. 

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Early Research

User Segmentation

As a class, we recognized our task was extremely broad. Understanding there is no such thing as an “average” college student, we begun user segmentation to look for specific user needs. In these white board sessions, we grouped users into distinct groups by asking what thoughts, behaviors, passions, and/or agendas do college students have?

Early Research

Formal listening

My early research consisted of two formal listening sessions with Michigan freshmen to hear about their move in / move out experiences.

Focussed Research

Narrowing my scope

After conducting formal listening sessions, a point of conversation that piqued my interest was plastic storage. Both of my first participants not only mentioned the importance of plastic storage in the move in/move out process AND dorm organization. I remembered IKEA had a goal to cut back their overall waste – maybe the relationship college students have with their plastic storage products had the potential for sustainable growth? I decided to push this idea further by continuing research that focussed on this relationship.

My focussed research consisted of 3 virtual touchstone tours and an online qualtrics survey that reached 6 participants to hone in on habits and attitudes related to storage products.

Data Analysis

Recap: Overall Methodology

11 total participants

1. Formal listening session

• Move-in / Move-out experience
• 2 Participants via zoom

2. Survey

• To gather info on storage habits, attitudes, and storage products
• 6 Participants via Qualtrics

3. Touchstone Tour

• Participants were asked to “show and tell” their storage methods at home
• 3 Participants via zoom

Data Organization

To organize research data and pinpoint trends, I used the rainbow spreadsheet method. This spreadsheet was especially helpful for visualizing data in later reports in a visually exciting and understandable way.

Findings

1. College students do not describe plastic storage products (such as bins, drawers, or containers) as long-lasting.

67% of participants believe storage products should last at least 5 years.

• 6/9 participants answered at least 5 years when asked the open ended question “How long should storage products last?”
• “Maybe 5 years depending on the quality”
• Storage products are defined in the survey as anything used to store belongings (ie. clothes, toiletries, extra school supplies). Storage product examples include bins, toiletry bags, hangers, dressers, and small bins.

2. Plastic storage products are extremely valuable to, and popular amongst college students.

82% of college students mention owning plastic containers, drawers, or bins when discussing storage.

• Only 2/11 participants did not mention plastic containers, drawers, or bins in the Storage Research online survey. Both of these participants discussed boxes and bags.
• "I come from an Asian household so I reuse all my boxes plastic bags… it's part of our culture I think, or maybe we're just cheap haha"

3. College students strongly identify with their storage habits.

Many college students have positive attitudes towards storage.

• “Good storage is essential to me for making my space feel clean and organized”
• “I recently bought hanging shelves for my closet (so they attach to the rod) and it was the best storage purchase I’ve ever made”
• "We're girls so we keep our bathroom very organized"

4. “Modularity” – the idea that products fit and stack together easily – is an important characteristic of storage products for college students.

Students prefer storage products that fit together well

• “Moving with boxes was easy for [my family] because we could fit them in the trunk tetris-style”
• “Storage being modular is of utmost importance as you never know where that storage may need to be moved. It’s a pain to rearrange everything every time a box needs to be moved”

Building a deep understanding of my data

In order to better understand my data and the relationship between students and plastic storage, I created a Primary persona, a Customer Journey map, and a Customer empathy map based on the things I saw, heard, and read.

Packaging my findings into these visuals also makes my findings presentable and easier to understand in context of of the challenge.

Design Ideas

1. Universal plastic bin connectors

2. Educational/ Humanizing packaging design