How CX works with Product at Ikea - Hanneke Hoogewerf (Sr Strategic Experience Designer, IKEA)
Nov 27, 2024
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Hanneke Hoogewerf, Sr Strategic Experience Designer at IKEA, dives into the emotional intricacies of project handovers and the quest for consistency across digital platforms. She shares insights on translating IKEA's whimsical spirit into the online space and the challenges of standardizing customer interactions. Hanneke also discusses the vital collaboration between designers and product teams, highlighting innovation driven by user insights and emerging technologies like AR and AI, while navigating the uncertainties of the modern market.
Strategic experience design at IKEA is essential for translating insights into value propositions while fostering collaboration across diverse expertise fields.
The use of emerging technologies like AR and AI at IKEA aims to enhance user experiences by making interior design more accessible and interactive.
Deep dives
The Role of Strategic Experience Design
Strategic experience design plays a crucial role in linking design initiatives with product decisions, particularly at IKEA, where the focus is on translating insights and trends into viable value propositions. This begins with the exploration of innovative opportunities, requiring designers to synthesize complex information and articulate a clear vision for future experiences. Hanneke Hoheberth highlights the need for collaboration across various expertise fields, utilizing design thinking methodologies to facilitate workshops that unify perspectives. Therefore, strategic experience designers are not just creators but facilitators, ensuring that all relevant voices contribute to innovation processes.
Integrating Emerging Technologies
In evaluating future technologies like augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI), it is essential to assess their potential impacts on user experiences. IKEA employs a dedicated team of trend watchers to monitor societal shifts and technology advancements, allowing for informed predictions that guide product development. The IKEA Creative app exemplifies how AR can democratize interior design, enabling users to visualize and interact with furniture in their homes before purchasing. This approach focuses on designing for human needs and real-world problems while experimenting within a sandbox environment to innovate effectively.
Navigating the Innovation Landscape
Innovation within large organizations like IKEA faces inherent challenges, especially when it comes to making investment decisions on big bets or ambitious projects. The process involves developing a robust business case while aligning innovation with the company’s broader vision and market needs. Hanneke emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balance between creativity and practicality, as well as the necessity to make decisions based on minimal viable product criteria while de-risking new initiatives. Ultimately, fostering a culture of collaboration and trust between strategic and product design teams is vital for successful handovers and project executions.
In this week's episode on The Product Experience podcast, we speak with Hanneke Hoogewerf, Sr Strategic Experience Designer, IKEA. Hanneke opens up about the emotional journey of project handovers and maintaining consistency across digital platforms. She discusses the challenges of translating IKEA's playful essence into the online realm and the importance of standardizing experiences for customer interaction.
Featured Links: Follow Hanneke on LinkedIn | IKEA | IKEA Kreativ | 'Five things we learned at the Pendomonium + #mtpcon roadshow - Amsterdam 2024'feature by Louron Pratt
Our Hosts Lily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She’s currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She’s worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath.
Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury’s. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group’s Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He’s the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager’s Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon’s music stores in the US & UK.
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