Published 10 January 2022 • Inter IKEA newsroom
Johan Ejdemo steps into the role of Design Manager at IKEA
IKEA strengthens design leadership by introducing the first-ever duo of design managers. From 1 January 2022, following a series of creative roles at the company over 20 years, Johan Ejdemo steps into his new role to form part of the first-ever duo of IKEA design managers alongside Eva Lilja Löwenhielm.
Since starting at IKEA in 1999 as a product engineer, Johan Ejdemo has taken part in several notable projects across IKEA, from product and range development to creating collections, driving innovation projects and developing platforms for focusing on the most important aspects of life at home. In his new role, Johan will bring his deep knowledge and diverse experience throughout the IKEA value chain, together with innovation and production insights, to a creative environment to boost the design movement, reinforce IKEA uniqueness and design identity, and strengthen circular design thinking to support the overall ambition of IKEA to become a circular business by 2030.
“Circular design is about democratizing products, making them both more sustainable and affordable", says Johan Ejdemo. “How we approach sustainability in design will be different going forward. We’re working to be better not only at designing good products but also at designing them in a way that creates an opportunity for continuous improvement, not only in development but also in the hands of the end-user. Prolonging the lifespan of products is as relevant as a mindset for design as it is for life at home."
“IKEA is a design brand for the many, and to keep and strengthen this position, we need to constantly move forward, by keeping our range relevant, inspiring, and truly affordable for the many people. To achieve that while also undertaking a huge ambition to become a circular business until 2030, we scale up with the design managers’ duo. Johan Ejdemo, with his long experience from working within IKEA product development and innovation, will be an accelerator for the strong movement towards sustainable and circular design with a positive impact to the everyday of the many – today and tomorrow,” says Emma Dafnäs, Range and Product Design Manager at IKEA of Sweden AB.