IKEA Place and their Augmented Reality Application
We are in this new and exciting digital age where technology is constantly changing and evolving. It is important that as these new technologies make their way into different industries, we are jumping on the opportunity to try them out and implement them into our own strategies before they even become a trend. Augmented Reality (AR) is met to be an experience where users' physical worlds are enhanced by computer-generated input by designers. This includes anything from sound to video, from graphics to even GPS overlays. Essentially, it is any digital elements that appear over real -time views and often are capable of some interactivity (Interaction Design Foundation, 2016). Implementing some type of AR into your marketing strategy effectively can improve a user’s experience with using your brand’s app and can help them in their consumer journey. While AI may be a bigger topic and trend to get into now, AR and VR are still in the same realm and are just as important to explore as options. Let’s dive into how IKEA has revolutionized the furniture selling industry with the use of augmented reality.
IKEA
A few years ago in 2017, furniture powerhouse IKEA announced the launch of their new augmented reality application, “IKEA Place” in a press release. The purpose of this app is for users to positively experience and experiment with interior designs and how furniture can transform different spaces such as a home, studio, or office. They allow all their products (from coffee tables to sofas) to be shown in 3D and are true to scale. This helps to ensure each product is envisioned in just the right size, design, and function. Not only will the app be able to automatically scale products based on the room dimensions (with 98% accuracy) but also the technology will be precise enough to see the textures on the fabric (Launch of New... 2017).
Michael Valdsgaard, leader of digital transformation at Inter IKEA Systems, talked a little bit about why the strategy was implemented and why the brand thinks it is important to the retail industry. He said, “IKEA Place makes it easier to make buying decisions in your own place, to get inspired and try many different products, styles and colours in real-life settings with a swipe of your finger. Augmented reality and virtual reality will be a total game changer for retail in the same way as the internet. Only this time, much faster.” Not only will people be able to digitally place items in their own rooms for inspiration, but the app allows for people to capture the entire setting and share with friends or family to get feedback as well. Valdsgaard mentions how technology has caught up to IKEA’S ambitions and states how implementing augmented reality has allowed them as a brand to redefine the experience for furniture retail in their ultimate quest of creating a better life for everyone, everywhere (Launch of New... 2017).
“Augmented reality and virtual reality will be a total game changer for retail in the same way as the internet. Only this time, much faster.”
Below is a video published by IKEA Egypt showing how a user could realistically benefit from using the app.
IKEA has changed the game in consumer’s online shopping experiences and has helped pave the way for other retail businesses to experiment with and integrate some form of augmented reality into their own brands. Many fashion retailers like Converse and Nike have incorporated AR into their applications to create a “virtual try-on” so consumers get a feel for how a shoe or piece of clothing may look on them. Augmented Reality allows consumers to get a first-hand experience and envision all the different possibilities that are available through products and helps play an integral role in their decision processing.
Sources:
Interaction Design Foundation - IxDF. (2016, November 22). What is Augmented Reality (AR)?. Interaction Design Foundation - IxDF. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/augmented-reality
“Launch of New IKEA Place App – Ikea Global.” IKEA, 12 Sept. 2017, www.ikea.com/global/en/newsroom/innovation/ikea-launches-ikea-place-a-new-app-that-allows-people-to-virtually-place-furniture-in-their-home-170912/.