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Democratic Design: How IKEA designs for everyone

Democratic Design is at the core of each IKEA product. The five dimensions that make this concept allow our designers and collaborators to create products that are for everyone. Get to know Democratic Design and the principles that bring it to the products and to the homes of the many people.

What is Democratic Design?

Here at IKEA, the development of a product goes through various phases, and one of our ways of identifying whether a product suits our range is with Democratic Design. It has five different dimensions—function, form, quality, sustainability, and low price. With each principle considered, a design should be considered democratic.

See the 5 most iconic IKEA product designs
See the 5 most iconic IKEA product designs

5 dimensions of Democratic Design

Each dimension has its purpose. Form refers to what attracts the eyes. Functionality is necessary so each IKEA product has a purpose and use. With this, quality should also be at the pillar of design to make sure that the object itself and its materials last for a long time. Relatively, a high-quality product is a sustainable product. Each solution should not be complicated or wasteful. The products we come up with today should still be relevant tomorrow. This responsibility starts with the source of materials and should continue all the way through IKEA customers. Lastly, each IKEA product must be accessible to the many people. We make sure that form, function, quality, and sustainability are attainable by everyone.

Learn more about our sustainability strategy
Learn more about our sustainability strategy

The balance between the 5 dimensions

While the five dimensions of Democratic Design remain present in each IKEA product, the parity between each is not always equal. Designers at IKEA constantly review the range, improving and updating each product to live up to the concept and to customers’ idea of what an IKEA product should be.

Democratic Designs: the honorable mentions

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