IKEA

Case Studies

Role

Lead Product Designer

Contribution

Visual direction, UX, content & product strategy, design system, user research and testing

Tooling

Figma, Maze, Azure, SAP Business tools

Duration

12 Months

Overview

This case study focuses on designing and implementing a user-centered solution to empower IKEA business leaders to make data-driven financial decisions effectively. The goal was to create a tool that integrates financial data insights into their decision-making process, enhancing accuracy and efficiency while aligning with IKEA’s values of simplicity, innovation, and sustainability.

Process

Research

Stakeholder Interviews: Engaged with 12 IKEA business leaders and financial managers to uncover challenges.

Surveys: Collected responses from 50 middle managers across different departments. 68% reported difficulty in understanding financial trends due to scattered data sources.

Usability Analysis of Current Tools: Evaluated existing platforms and workflows.

Competitor Benchmarking: Studied tools from retail competitors

Key Takeaway: Competitor tools had advanced predictive analytics and centralised dashboards.

Insights

Decision-making relied on fragmented, outdated data.
A need for tailored visualisations catering to specific roles.
Leaders desired a platform that combined financial data with operational insights for a holistic view.

Data-Driven Design Decisions

Principles Applied

Data Centralisation: Consolidate data from multiple systems into one accessible platform.

Role-Based Dashboards: Tailor views for strategic, tactical, and operational users.
Predictive Analytics: Integrate machine learning to forecast financial outcomes and simulate scenarios.

Simplified Interfaces: Focus on clarity, reducing cognitive load for non-technical users.

Interactive Dashboards: Real-time financial performance metrics (e.g., revenue, costs, profitability).

Scenario Analysis Tools: “What-if” modeling for evaluating decisions.

Collaboration Features: Shared workspaces for cross-team decision-making.

Mobile Compatibility: Enable quick access to insights during meetings.

Design

Information Architecture: Designed a clear hierarchy for financial data, grouping metrics into categories like Revenue, Costs, and Profitability.

Wireframes: Designed low-fidelity wireframes for dashboards, focusing on clarity and hierarchy of information.

Design Iterations: Based on user feedback, added features like drill-down views, natural language queries, and colour-coded risk indicators.

High-Fidelity Prototype: Created a polished prototype using Figma with IKEA’s branding guidelines and minimalist design aesthetic.

User Testing

Process

Conducted usability testing with 20 IKEA leaders from different departments.
Metrics Assessed: Task completion time, error rate, user satisfaction (SUS score), and cognitive load.

Findings

Task Completion: 90% of users could locate key financial metrics
Satisfaction: System Usability Scale (SUS) score averaged 86, indicating excellent usability.
Feedback: “The scenario analysis tool saved me hours of manual effort.”
Improvement: Add customisation options for dashboard layouts.

Iterations Post-Testing:

Enhanced customisation options for dashboards.
Improved mobile interface for faster load times.

Results

0 %

Faster…decision-making as leaders accessed real-time insights.

0 %

Adoption by leaders reported using the platform weekly within the first three months.

0 %

Improved accuracy in quarterly forecasting reducing overstock and stock-out scenarios.

Conclusion

This project successfully empowered IKEA business leaders by aligning financial decision-making with user-centric, data-driven design principles. The integration of predictive analytics and tailored insights helped transform IKEA’s decision-making process, creating a scalable and sustainable financial ecosystem.

Key Takeaways