Speaking of “IKEA”, what does that you remind of? This is the general image that is a huge North European home furnishing store that sells reasonable and sophisticated designed furniture, and the image that many people hold would be that logo and large building colored only blue and yellow. The company has been using the colors to get publicity for their identity because the colors represent the Swedish flag and IKEA originated as a small variety store in the country. The founder Ingvar Kamprad was only 17 at that time and lived on a farm named Elmtaryd in Agunnaryd, and is now over 80, yet he still supports the company. The name IKEA is an abbreviation of “Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd”. Now the company has become the biggest chain furniture shop in the world, which has 278 stores in 36 countries. It has been expanding their business into the world and also it is one of the few store chains located in Israel and in other Middle Eastern nations.

  IKEA safeguards their basic business idea, “Democratic Design” that means “to create a better everyday life for people”. That is evident in their product’s design and low prices. Is there any company that highlights their prices with more confidence than IKEA? Their advertisements include posters, commercials(see one example)and magazine, is very simply designed with only numbers representing prices and an interesting image. Other information about products such as size, colors and specific benefits to attract consumers, is totally eliminated from their ads. Looking at their way to display, the most noticeable things are signs displaying prices. Although general’s shop would try to display products by using lights and flowers, etc, to make them look as beautiful as possible, IKEA never does that. This is because they think it is wasteful spending and above all, they have big pride and confidence in their high quality products with and they seem to be aware people know that. IKEA does several things to sell at as low prices as possible. First of all, they decide on a price first before they design a new product although it is an uncommon way. Secondly, they try to cut labor costs, so consumers have got to serve themselves at IKEA shops, there are no service clerks to carry baggage for customers. Therefore all products of IKEA are packaged compactly and are RTA (ready to assemble). In fact, IKEA failed in one venture in Japan because of their lack of service. However, it is popular in Japan now.

IKEA’s concept is shown in the design of their products as well, which are designed simply to be able to suit any type of room. The atmosphere created by colors and materials of their products; blond woods, natural clothing, paintless finishing, would be warm and refreshing. This is related to the climate in Sweden, which is somber all the year round, and they need to create a mood like the sunlight comes into their house. As for IKEA’s designers, they are required many things, not only to design products with good function and visual but also to think about the environment. Products they design are able to be flat and stack in order to reduce the mount of package to transport and the number of tracks that eliminate carbon dioxide.

 

Thus, IKEA’s business basic idea “Democratic Design” applies to all sides from people’s lives to world environmental problems. Behind this background is that they have searched for best life style of Swedish people who living in harsh weather and natural environments. This would be only one reason IKEA has engaged people’s hearts and minds and been accepted by many people in the world. IKEA wasn’t accepted in Japan, but it actually become popular now. This would be because Japanese people could understand the true meaning of “Democratic” of their policy through their way thinking about costumers seriously. IKEA would much more reach Japan in the future.

BlendsLogosDesign Analysis
The POM juice container is made of plastic, and the POM Tea package is made of glass. Both are very distinctive by shape, material, and also function. The shape of the plastic bottle is in 2 round bubbles, which imitate and represent the pomegranate. It differentiates the 5 kinds of taste according to lid’s color. The glass package is a long cylinder with lid. It looks simple but the simplicity turns into a useful function after the consumer finishes drinking the tea. Since it is made of glass, it is not easily disposed, and can be reused as a drinking glass or container. / Also, besides the package, the logo is also a strong element of its distinction. The word POM is expressed with very rounded sans-serif typeface in all capitals and O in the heart shape. And the heart is colored in red, which is the color of the pomegranate. This humorous and visually comfortable logo that stands out at supermarkets attracts customer as well. For POM tea, the leaf appears at the top of the heart, although the tea is not made of pomegranate leaf.

Retail of Commodities
Target Retailer: Gourmet Supermarket / Target Consumer: Mostly women who care about aging and health./Shelf-Life: It is 100% and no chemical are added, so the expiration date is not so long. It is listed on the back of package./Display:Put on the shelf lined up along with other beverages. No stacking./-Economics: A little more expensive than other beverages such as Coke; $3.00 a bottle. The quantity is 48 ounces.Shelf-Life: It is 100% and no chemical are added, so the expiration date is not so long. It is listed on the back of package.-Display: Put on the shelf lined up along with other beverages. No stacking.-Economics: A little more expensive than other beverages such as Coke; $3.00 a bottle. The quantity is 48 ounces.

Purchase
After purchase, customers can drink it whenever they want. But since it is 100% juice and no chemicals are added, the expiration date is shorter than other beverages.

AdvertisementsAdvertisementsThe media are TV commercials and magazine advertisements. Their advertisements are very humorous that emphasizes the advantages of ”stay is young.”

After-Life
POM Wonderful bottles are not refillable. But the pretty logo and stacked pomegranate-shaped bottle with simple graphic design attracts consumers and allows packrats to keep it even if it is empty./For POM TEA, this package is said to be very nice because it is made of glass that can be reused as adrinking glass, or container. The motion graphic for the TV commercial explains how to reuse the package through simple and fun ways. This video is not an official; POM Wonderful launched a campaign and one of the POM drinkers made it.)

  Governments in many countries manage to reduce the number of smokers by restricting a visual advertisement of tobacco. For example, a tobacco package should have “Health Warning” by words or pictures. For example, the package in EU countries must be labeled with both warning sentences (like “Smoking kills” “Tobacco smoke can harm your children”) and a picture associated with bad results occurred by smoking. And these warnings should occupy 30~40% of the package. In Australia, the percentage is 90%. In Japan, the restriction for tobacco package is more moderate. It doesn’t have to have a picture for warning. It related to the fact that The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan is not responsible for smoking problem, but Department of the Treasury is, which is also the top shareholder of Japan Tobacco Inc. The money issue is more involved in smoking problem in Japan.

 Also, most major cities provide some kind of regulation on smoking in public. It’s not surprising to prohibit smoking in public buildings, restaurants or cafés. In Tokyo, Japan, even smoking in the street is not permitted in some area. According to this serious situation for smoking, it seems that ashtrays in public are beginning to look like a part of surrounding environment. The picture is of an ashtray in the street in NY. It doesn’t look like an ashtray but some architectural stuff. It has just little two holes. So people don’t have to see dirty cigarette butt and smoke doesn’t spread. It’s important to contrive ways for smoker and non-smoker to live comfortable as well as regulate smoking.

Designing a tobacco package or a public ashtray is of course for protecting people’s health or keeping the city clean, but also they are the devices for the governments of each countries or cities to show and appeal how serious they wrestle with smoking problem.

Of course, there are many products that exist, which are well balanced. For example, the works of Isamu Noguchi, a sculptor who is famous for the lamps and furniture, could be both. His works are often regarded as designed pieces because they are mass-produced and simplified. But they also have artistic aspect in terms of the shape and the way of using material.

Alessi, the Italian production, might be one of the examples that could be the solution of this issue, as their products are filled with playfulness, and they are functional enough to use. They are so attractive that people will buy them even if it is not so functional like the others.

 

What do you think of when you hear the word “Scandinavian Design”? The answer of this question is increasing in variation now because of the distinguishing progress of the design. Today we can see both classic design and contemporary design at the same time, and feel differences and similarities between them. One example of the classic design is “Teak Bowls” that was designed by Danish designer, Kai Bojesen in1950. The example of the contemporary design is “LP Bowls” that was created by vibrant Finnish designer group that was founded in 2003.

The differences between them are materials, fabrication, and the feeling when people come up with them. First, the material of “Teak Bowls” is natural teak woods while the other, “LP bowls”, are made out of old LPs. One is natural, and the other is an artificial material. A second difference of them is the ways of making both products. “Teak Bowls” are made by hand with carving knives, and the process provides the product with beautiful gentle curves. “LP Bowls” are created by machine, and the shape of the bump is perfectly geometric. It can be said the classic one is using low technology and the contemporary one is using high technology. The last difference is about feelings. When we see “Teak Bowls”, we feel warm and cozy from the product. The classic one can be said “emotional design”. “LP Bowls” provide us with a fresh feeling because of the humor.

The similarities between them are function, the ways of using materials, and the regards for nature. First is obvious similarity of function, the function of the bowls are trays for anything. Secondly, the way of using materials are similar even both materials are so different. We can see the reason why they have same spirits in attitude toward to use material without any synthesis process. The woods are used as they are, and the old LPs as well are also used as they are. One of the characteristics of Scandinavian design appears at that point; the Scandinavian designers don’t like to make things decorative, and they like things without useless parts. The final similarity of them is designer attitudes toward nature or the material. “Teak Bowls” have the atmosphere that the designer really cared about the wood, nature. On the other hand, inspired by recycled materials, form of old LPs are changed create a new product, “LP Bowls”. Even though the materials for the product are artificial, the mind of caring for the environment has same spirit as the old classic designers.

It is difficult to criticize which one is better than the other because both of them have unique characteristics that I like. One thing I can say about comparing them is the Scandinavian design is developing without losing important spirits; thinking about the relation between humans and nature. Time never stops, so what we can do is always changing. The next generation of Scandinavian designer respect traditional precepts, and also incorporate new moods of this century. Through the progress of its design, we can see the changing and unchanging in Scandinavian design.