IKEA VR Build

A Virtual Reality experience of building IKEA furniture by Vivek Selvaraj

Problem

Screenshot of a Reddit r/unpopularopinion post titled “Putting together IKEA furniture is fun and relaxing” — Source: Reddit r/unpopularopinion

Assembling IKEA furniture can be a fun, relaxing activity, but the cost can sometimes be as high as a LEGO set, or even higher

What if we could develop an easily accessible, VR experience where users can engage in a hands-on-experience of assembling and showcasing IKEA furniture?

Ideation

Storyboard sketch: a bored-looking figure thinking “Bored…” — An initial storyboard of how this app could work in a VR context

Storyboard sketch: a figure putting on a VR headset — An initial storyboard of how this app could work in a VR context

Prototyping

Physical Prototype: Diorama

I began bringing this product to life by making a physical prototype using clay and paper.

Cardboard diorama: a clay hand pointing at a TARSELE table label

Cardboard diorama with an “ikea BUILD” sign and a LACK side table label

Diorama toolbox: a screwdriver, scraper, wrench and scissors taped to a cardboard board under a TOOLS label

Cardboard diorama: a clay hand and a green arrow pointing at a cardboard hammer on the floor

Reflection

Designing VR, as someone new to XR experience design, was initially daunting, especially due to the scarcity of user-friendly prototyping tools. However, building a physical diorama proved to be an effective strategy.

I highly recommend others starting in VR to try building a physical prototype for the following reasons:

It's visually intuitive for designing VR interactions
It's tangible and quickly adaptable
It simplified the process for others to visualize my concepts

Digital Prototype

I did a rough implementation on Unity to envision how this experience would feel like in a VR headset.