Utilizing AR (augmented reality) to gain insight into its customers’ design needs, IKEA has launched IKEA: Space Unfolded at its Brooklyn, N.Y. store, a pop-up exhibition that allows guests to generate several design possibilities through an immersive experience. At the entrance of Space Unfolded, the experience is described as “A single space, infinite possibilities. Venture inside our new experience to discover how a little imagination can unfold all kinds of potential in your home.”
Once inside the Space Unfolded room, guests use a touchscreen to choose a lifestyle, allowing the program to generate an apartment layout that serves as the foundation for users’ dream spaces. Using their creativity, guests can then incorporate details such as storage options, lighting and furniture, and through projection mapping designs are generated within the pop-up space.
“While augmented reality is now quite familiar to many people, the scale of Space Unfolded is something beyond what the customer can experience at home,” said Lorna Montalvo, Integrated Media Leader at IKEA in an interview with MediaPost. “We hope to gain insight on how our customers use new digital experiences to interpret and understand IKEA and how it can improve and simplify their home life.”
Within this virtual dream apartment layout, Space Unfolded generates suggestions regarding IKEA storage features such as clothing racks, hooks and placing furniture on casters, thereby optimizing the size of smaller spaces. Guests are then encouraged to “Shape every space to fit your imagination.”
As they design their dream spaces, guests are also encouraged to take pictures within the room models and share their visions via social media using #IKEASpaceUnfolded.