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It’s the Small Things

IKEA is a wildly successful company.  There are any number of factors that contribute to this.  I was reminded of one when I was installing an IKEA light this weekend.

The light in question is a box mounted ceiling pendant light.  I have installed a lot of ceiling lights and invariably its never as straightforward as you expect it to be.  Old wiring, mis-matched screws, weird box sizes, all contribute to standing holding a weight above your head for a long time.  Aching arms testify to this ritual.

I bought the IKEA light for it’s inexpensive good looks.  I was left after installing it with the additional impression of an incredibly well-thought design.  The plate that mounted to the ceiling separated from the main light fixture and had a quick-connect fitting to attach to the rest of the fixture.  This meant that I could position the plate and screw it into the ceiling without the weight of the main fixture.  When it was in position and I was ready to mount the main fixture I simply plugged the mating connector into the plate and hung the fixture on the plate attachment screws. Simple, fast and satisfying.

I have been thinking about that experience for the last couple of days.  IKEA is known for cost reducing their products.  The addition of the plate and connector goes in the opposite direction and adds cost.  It is the small things, (like the plate) that raise the bar for IKEA and remove their products from simply being low cost alternatives.  Good design takes all aspects of the product into consideration including installation.

Tags: IKEA, IKEA porduct design, IKEA simplicity, well-thought design, well-thought product design