IKEA Sustainability
UX CASE STUDY: Creating a Sustainable Refurbished Marketplace for IKEA to Minimize Furniture Waste and Maximize Affordability
A UT x IKEA collaboration, where I worked with user researchers and engineers to tackle challenges in the used furniture market. We translated complex data into actionable insights, creating high-fidelity prototypes that fit seamlessly into IKEA’s business and digital ecosystem.
Roles & Responsibilities
User Research
User Interviews, Affinity Mapping, User Personas, Information Modeling (Hierarchical Task Inventory, Flow Models, Task Interaction Models, User Scenario Models)
Design
Storyboarding Sketching Wireframing Prototyping Low-Fidelity Prototyping Mid-Fidelity Prototyping High-Fidelity Prototyping
Usability Testing
Pilot Test
Project Duration
January 2023 - June 2023
01. The Opportunity
Furniture waste is a growing global concern. Through this project, IKEA aims to transform this challenge into an opportunity for sustainable solutions.
"Americans dump 12 million tons of furniture annually"
"Making & shipping a piece of furniture emits 90 kilograms of carbon, equal to flying a Boeing 747 for an hour."
- Fast Company Report
"Used furniture in 2020 amounted to just 2% of total furniture sales "
- marketresearch.com
02. The Proposal
The proposal includes feature enhancements to the existing IKEA mobile app, specifically designed for shoppers in temporary housing, with a special focus on students.
We suggested introducing a new “Sustainability” section on IKEA.com/us/en that features a marketplace for refurbished furniture. This initiative not only meets the needs of these ideal markets but also addresses user concerns associated with traditional marketplaces, ultimately contributing to a reduction in furniture waste.
A glimpse of final visual design mockups of the home screen
The initiative strengthens the affordable furniture market and significantly cuts the industry’s ecological footprint.
A Local Approach
We began by addressing the global issue of furniture waste, proposing a regional solution to strengthen the refurbished furniture market. From there, we focused on a local approach—designing student-friendly features within the IKEA app to tackle the significant furniture dumping caused by frequent student relocations. The solution streamlines the resale process, promoting affordable, sustainable living while reducing waste.
We're redesigning the IKEA app with affordable and sustainable features for students, aiming to reduce furniture wastage caused by disposal.
03. User Research
We conducted interviews with 12 participants to understand work activity in the ecosystem, sorting their responses into high-level trends using a Work Activity Affinity Diagram (WAAD). We created two user personas representing major user classes before data modeling.
3.1 User Interview
To prepare for generative user interviews, the team wrote a series of research questions later paired with written verbatims that would be recited to interview participants.
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Investigate how people purchase furniture (new & used)
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Thoughts on purchases
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Thoughts on furniture shopping platforms (e.g. online marketplaces, IKEA, social media, etc.)
The team then wrote a moderator script, structured as:
1. Welcome
2. Background questions
3. Focus questions
a. Furniture shopping in general
b. Furniture shopping in IKEA
c. Shopping used furniture
4. Retrospective
5. Wrap Up
To be a part of user interviews, participants had to fulfill the following screening criteria:
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Have you relocated within the past year?
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Have you purchased furniture within the past year?
Participants who did not meet the criteria were exited from the interviews.
3.2 Work Activity Affinity Diagram (WAAD)
We collectively used various methods to get the raw data. During generative user interviews, moderators wrote notes in real-time (verbatim and condensed) onto a note-taking excel template.
This really assisted in the building of the WAAD diagram.
Link to excel note taking template: here
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The verbatim responses of the 12 participants from the Excel file were analyzed to create useful data notes addressing pain points and user behavior as shown here.
The data points were further clustered into sections corresponding to the underlying domains that they addressed. Through this exercise, we were able to identify specific areas where users felt issues with.
Examples of Condensing Raw Data into Work Activity Notes
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Raw Data #1: “Finding what I wanted. I want a big mirror but it's kind of expensive. Cheaper options I have to go in person for. I've been looking at FB marketplace but I haven't found what I wanted.” - P2
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Work Activity Note #1: Visiting physical stores have cheaper options.
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Raw Data #2: “Nothing as much. But choosing the chair seemed a little difficult because there were a lot of options.” - P4
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Work Activity Note #2: A lot of options create difficulty in choosing.
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Raw Data #3: It matters how it's listed. I won't look at the product if the person doesn't have a couple of reviews. I like a lot of pictures, videos, and descriptions. A few pictures = scratches. I like responsive people as well. - P6
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Work Activity Note #3: Inconsistent customer journeys in online marketplaces, result in trust issues.
3.3 User Persona
We identified personas based on data we collected through user research. We realized “Domestic” and “International” students had distinct goals and buying behaviors:
Domestic student
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Description: Recently got rid of existing furniture
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Situation: Migrating to a new city for graduation after completion of undergrad
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Goal: Buy affordable but high-quality furniture upon arriving in the new city
International student
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Description: Transited to an unfurnished apartment
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Situation: In a new country
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Goal: Find cheap but reliable furniture
Shubhi, a new international university student, urgently requires affordable and durable used furniture for their unfurnished apartment after flying in from abroad.
Charlie, a new domestic student, needs to buy affordable but high-quality furniture for his move from Arizona to Texas for grad school. He had to dispose of his existing furniture due to the end of his lease coinciding with his graduation.
04. Requirements & Modeling
The team decided to construct the following data models as they were identified as appropriate for the project:
task structure model (hierarchical task inventory), usage model (flow model), task interaction model (step-by-step task interaction model), and user scenario model.
4.1 Hierarchical Task Inventory
The team created a hierarchical task inventory model representing all the tasks an IKEA customer can accomplish within our proposed IKEA used furniture ecosystem:
I. Seller - Exchange used IKEA furniture for IKEA credit / cash
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Select furniture model
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Initial quality check
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Arrange transport
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Trade furniture
II. Buyer - Select refurbished furniture for purchase
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Find refurbished furniture
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Checkout— enter payment
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Claim furniture
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Furniture transported to home (either from warehouse or delivery)
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4.2 Flow Model
I created Flow Models to illustrate the working relationship between
i. Machines (database and IKEA website) and
ii. Users/Stakeholders (IKEA buyers/ sellers, IKEA transport, and IKEA used furniture inspectors)
This model helps visualize how the product works in its larger ecosystem and highlights how logistics streamline delivery and procurement manages inventory sourcing, ensuring a seamless transaction process.
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4.3 Task Interaction Models
We leveraged task sequencing models to illustrate different critical usage case scenarios in the workflow of the app.
4.3.1 Step-by-step Task Sequencing Model
Adding refurbished furniture to cart
Submit Request for selling used IKEA furniture
Confirming sale offer from IKEA
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4.3.2 User Scenario Model
Charlie is a software engineer moving out of the city in a week and wants to sell their IKEA furniture quickly while getting a fair price.
However, their social media ads didn't receive much local interest. Knowing that others at work have faced similar challenges, Charlie is worried about resorting to throwing away or giving away their furniture for free.
They discover the IKEA Sustainability feature on the IKEA app, which offers a hassle-free solution to return furniture for cash or store credit. Charlie is pleased that they can easily upload details through the app, which will be remotely inspected by store personnel. This saves them time and effort and ensures they can sell their furniture, arrange transport and receive credit all through the app.
Rhea, a newly-arrived international student in the US, wants to furnish her home with affordable and durable furniture.
Although she explored used furniture on marketplace apps, arranging transport was difficult, and meeting strangers for inspection made her uncomfortable. Also, some sellers inflated prices.
Discovering the IKEA Sustainability feature, she finds that she can buy certified used IKEA furniture. The Sustainability feature has a special student section, where she can access student bundles, checklists, and buy required products based on her needs. IKEA also arranges transport, which relieves her of that burden.
Sal is an eco-conscious individual looking to replace their old IKEA couch with a durable and sustainable option.
They are hesitant to buy new furniture due to environmental concerns and the furniture dumping crisis in the US. Sal wishes there was a mainstream way to purchase used furniture without dealing with individual owners.
Discovering the IKEA Sustainability feature, Sal is relieved to find a trusted retailer selling used furniture while also offering the option to sell back their existing furniture for a discount on their new purchase.
05. Ideation & Design
5.1 Storyboarding
The team then went to a whiteboard and drew two storyboards outlining needs and subtasks with
1) students exchanging used IKEA furniture back to IKEA for in-store credit, and
2) students purchasing used IKEA furniture.
Scenario 1: Exchanging used IKEA furniture for store credit
Scenario 2: Student purchasing used IKEA furniture
5.2 Sketching & Wireframing
Following storyboarding, the team took to the whiteboard to plan user flows, key tasks, and screen layouts.
Aligning on the overall user flow, we split the key user tasks among the team members to sketch individual flows.
Sketching paper prototypes helped us conceptualized user activities, interactions, and features to fit the needs of the user and the ecosystem.
Series 1: Inspecting used furniture on IKEA Sustainability (Sketches by a teammate)
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Series 2: Onboarding, student verification and student home
06. Prototype & Pilot Test
After evaluating our flow diagrams and sketches, the team opted to narrow down scope to designing tasks that involve:
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Customers going to the IKEA sustainability page, adding refurbished furniture to checkout
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Customers logging into IKEA for students, interacting with features (e.g. furniture bundle, checklist)
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Customers selling used furniture
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Customers finding used furniture based on location
On evaluating our existing flow diagrams/ brainstorming, the team opted to not design screens that involve IKEA inspectors or other IKEA employees (which was the entire 2nd half of our hierarchical task diagram).
6.1 Low-fidelity Prototyping
The wireframes show how users can buy used IKEA products, including a student section that requires authentication with a .edu email. The app also includes a checklist feature to help students keep track of what they need to buy and suggests options for each product.
The wireframes show how users can sell their used furniture to IKEA for in-store credit. They can identify the furniture model, report damages, and rate the condition in curated steps. After an agent inspects photos, a quote is sent as a pop-up for the user to accept or reject.
6.2 Mid-fidelity Prototyping
We proceeded to mid-fi prototyping for more user tasks:
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Splash screen with clickable access to search page, campaign sliders, and sustainability campaign
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Checkout page with product summary, quantity adjustments, delivery options, and payment method selection
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Students login with university email for benefits and offers
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Curated furniture bundles with option to add/remove items and checklist feature
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Sell option for existing IKEA products with model selection, damage reporting with photos, and submission for evaluation by IKEA. Offer made and user can accept/reject, followed by payment and delivery method selection.
6.3 Pilot Test
The team recruited one participant for the pilot test and 3 for usability testing after passing them through several screening questions.
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Are you a former IKEA shopper?
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Yes = Pass
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No = Exit
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Are you currently a university student?
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Yes = Pass
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No = Exit
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Have you used the IKEA app within the past six months?
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Yes = Pass
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No = Exit
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Have you bought used furniture within six months?
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Yes = Pass
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No = Exit
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The team then conducted one moderated usability test through the following format.
Focus Questions - Generative Tasks
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Think out aloud what you see on the screens.
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What do you expect to see on the IKEA Sustainability page? (Before opening the page)
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What do you think the IKEA Sustainability page offers? (After opening the page)
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What do you expect to see when you click on student offers?
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What do you expect to happen after preparing a checklist of items?
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What do you expect to happen after you successfully place a sell request?
Focus Questions - Evaluative Tasks
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Navigate the refurbished marketplace from the homepage.
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Select a store to search for refurbished goods.
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Access the student store within the refurbished marketplace.
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Authenticate your student status.
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Make a checklist of items to be bought on the students’ page.
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Place a sell request for your IKEA table.
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Accept the offer from IKEA and schedule pickup for your used product.
Retrospective
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Is there anything about the low-fidelity screens I shared you think I should know more about?
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Can you share with me three of the most memorable things you found on the screens I shared today?
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Can you share with me three of the most frustrating things you found in the screens I shared today?
6.4 High-fidelity Mockups
The mid-fidelity prototypes were converted to high-fidelity by introducing a design system and interactions.
The design system is highly influenced by the existing system of the IKEA app since the designed elements are housed within the existing app ecosystem.
6.5 Clickable Prototype
The clickable prototype featured here allows users to perform the key user taks.
The prototype begins at the existing home page of the IKEA app, which features a banner for the 'Sustainability' campaign. The campaign can also be found at other locations within the app.
Given below is a list of user tasks:
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Accessing the IKEA sustainability marketplace.
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Find a nearby IKEA store and add a refurbished product to your cart.
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Sell a used IKEA desk and submit it for IKEA inspection. Now there will be a notification for a request you submitted, please accept the offer.
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Log into an IKEA as a student and select a bundle, remove one item from it and add to the cart.
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Create a checklist of furniture you want to buy.
07. Learnings
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Introducing feature add-ons to an existing ecosystem by aligning elements to the existing hierarchy and user flow.
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Generative research involves not making assumptions— what’s most insightful may end up surprising us.
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Creating alignment involves listening, consistency, setting healthy boundaries, and having fun during meetings.
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The importance of data modeling in the design process to bridge the gap between user research and ideation.