SJÄLVSTÄNDIG vases

Category: Design exploration and research, product design

Client: Ikea of Sweden

Year: 2018

Design deliverables: 2D and 3D sketching, 3D modelling, factory floor development, production drawings

Materials: Ceramic

Images: IKEA of Sweden

How do we connect with products and how would we appreciate them even more? I got a unique opportunity to study the connection between consumers and objects in a large scale when I worked as an in-house designer at Ikea of Sweden. As a result, I came up with a project proposal “uniqueness in mass production”.

The product outcome for the global market was a collection of vases called Självständig. Each object has visible signs of the craftswomen/-men behind the production. The slip casting process is tweaked and optimized so that each product is unique. With the design I hoped to evoke questions among the customers. Why and how? I believe that once people are more familiar with the stories and people behind the objects, they will appreciate them even more. Every vase was a unique mass-produced piece with a signature of the maker. It was a process where I had the role as a designer to make the concept, highlight the story and challenge the system, and the lovely people on the factory floor had the role of making the story visible. It was such a lovely and unique journey to challenge myself, a big company, learn new things and collaborate with amazing people.