| This thesis examines how the Swedish home furnishings company IKEA has succeeded in bringing Swedish design principles to a global audience. Through clever advertising campaigns and inventive packaging techniques such as the flat-pack, IKEA has changed the way people buy furniture. In this analysis, the origins of Swedish design are explored. The 1930 Stockholm Exhibition is described as a critical point in the development of Swedish design and its successful introduction to an international audience. The Museum of Modern Art was instrumental in supporting the functional and cost-conscious designs coming from Scandinavia during the inter-war period through numerous exhibitions. After World War II IKEA began to sell Swedish design-inspired furnishings at a price more people could afford. IKEA's main contribution to Swedish design was its ability to bring functional designs to a mass market. This research addresses sustainability issues raised by IKEA's large-scale manufacturing and distribution processes. To this end, this thesis poses the question, is it possible to make good design available to all people?... |
