vindstyrka
@ IKEA
internship
2021
product design
- a sensor to measure indoor air quality for IKEA's smart home segment
Vindstyrka is a smart indoor air quality sensor that complements the rest of IKEA's solutions for better air at home. The product can be connected to the newly launched Dirigera hub and IKEA Home Smart App as well as directly to the air purifiers in the product range – making them turn on if the levels of PM2.5 gets too high. Vindstyrka measures PM2.5, tVOC (Volatile Organic Compound), temperature and humidity.
Based on the initial research phase of the project, we iterated on how to display the required information. Due to the number of parameters that should be shown, using a segmented display, we had to use our best problem-solving skills to utilize the given space in the best way possible. For example, exploring options of either toggling between detailed views of each parameter or display everything in an overview. (Most of the process pictures I cannot show.)
Working on a product like VINDSTYRKA was something I had never done before. Designing for a segmented display, learning for example how many segments could be used or how close to each other, was challenging and required a lot of problem-solving. In the beginning, I found myself mostly focusing on designing visually pleasing options but later understanding how they did not necessarily cater towards the best user experience – which forced me to reconsider what should be prioritized.
In addition to this, being an in-house project, I got to experience what it is like to work with different stakeholders within a company, such as other designers, product owners, engineers, and suppliers. Working with these people gave me an understanding of what it is like to strive toward different price points. IKEA Home Smart, aiming to be more affordable than its competitors, made me learn about what drives the price up or down while developing these kinds of products – and how one as a designer can work with or against that.
During this internship, I spent 50% of my time at IKEA Home Smart working on products such as VINDSTYRKA. However, the other 50% I spent at the classic IKEA Design Department working on both small storage products, such as VATTENKAR Desk Storage, VATTENKAR Wall Storage, and RISATORP Desk Storage, as well as furniture. Spending time with both teams was really fun and enabled me to be creative in a broad way. However, it also confirmed for me that working with UX and digital products makes me much more excited!