All students moving out from their parents’ into their student housing know the struggle of buying furniture. A room that is way too small, but should still fit at least a bed, desk, and wardrobe. After carefully measuring the walls and buying all the furniture individually, you notice that it is just a bunch of random pieces that don’t fit together.
Integrating AI and AR
IKEA found a solution for this problem. Their IKEA Kreativ app combines the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies with Augmented Reality (AR). AR allows users to design their own room in real-time. By simply scanning the room with the app, users can experiment with different layouts and styles. The AI part of the app suggests additional pieces of furniture and is able to erase existing furniture from the room. Once a user finishes their design, he or she can add all items to their shopping cart. Data from Shopify shows that buyers who visualize an item in AR are 65% more likely to actually buy the product (Reynolds, 2024).
Digital Disruption
Said Parag Parekh, Co-acting Chief Digital Officer, states, ” Through innovative, intuitive technology, we believe IKEA Kreativ will break down barriers to shopping for home furnishing.” (IKEA, 2023). In other words, the app is not only useful for consumers, but it is also a disruptive innovation in the furniture industry. The traditional offline way of buying furniture requires measuring the entire room and visiting a physical store, while IKEA Kreativ offers a personalized and interactive environment by scanning your room into the app.
For students (or others who have to move), the IKEA Kreativ app is a great way to furnish a room or house and turn it into a coherent space. For the furnishing industry, the app shows that AI and AR are not only a feature, but can reshape the whole market.
References
IKEA. (2023, February 13). IKEA Kreativ launches, making home design even easier and more accessible for the many. Opgehaald van IKEA: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/newsroom/stories/ikea-kreativ-launches-making-home-design-even-easier-and-more-accessible-for-the-many-pub71d09380/
Reynolds, R. (2024, June 13). How the IKEA Kreativ app evolves furniture sales. Opgehaald van ienhance: https://www.ienhance.co/insights/ikea-kreativ-app
Interesting!
Would love to know if it can actually scan and measure your spaces and propose correctly sized furniture. Also thinking about possible applications in clothes shopping online platforms.
Thanks for this post, I really enjoyed reading it. I think the IKEA Kreativ app is a great example of how technology can make life easier for students and young professionals. When I first moved into my student housing, I also struggled with arranging furniture in a small room and ended up with mismatched pieces that didn’t fit well together. Having an app like this would have saved me a lot of time and frustration.
What I find especially interesting is the combination of AR with AI. Many AR shopping tools only let you “place” items in your room, but IKEA goes a step further by suggesting matching products and even erasing old furniture. This makes it feel less like a cool extra feature and more like a real assistant that helps you create a coherent space. I can see how this would encourage customers to stay within the IKEA ecosystem and finish their shopping journey there.
Overall, I think this is a very smart move by IKEA. It shows how AR and AI can be used in a way that is practical and accessible, not just futuristic. Personally, I would definitely use this app the next time I move.
One of the biggest problems with buying furniture online imo is that you won’t know how it looks in your room, since you only have the product image of the website to look at. This app could definitely be useful and I could see it being the norm in the future when furniture shopping online