As this project is aimed towards uniforms, instead of just doing my research on the esthetic of the brand, I tried to look deeper. I wanted to learn more about the people that actually wear the Ikea uniform.
In order to obtain the information I needed, I found myself walking around my local Ikea one Saturday afternoon; observing the people that work there. Maybe it’s just me, but have you ever noticed how all of them seem to have a smile on their face, but never look happy? As I was strolling by I took note of one interesting thing, 90% of the people that would come up to the employees wouldn’t even say hello, as if they were talking to a cardboard cutout. And upon receiving the information they needed, they would leave without even saying thank you. Just imagine how that would make you feel, not even getting a single thank you in return for your assistance. And just keep in mind, this doesn’t occur once a day, It happens about a thousand times…
Therefore, instead of making the employee blend in with his environment, which would just add to the feeling that they are nothing more than just a talking navigational system, not a human being. The idea is to make the employee the center of attention for a change.
I want people to come up to them and be amazed by their appearance, now viewing them as something more than just a by-product of the facility. And what better way to do this than by using the most iconic Ikea product, the blue bag.
This brings us to the uniform, which is made almost entirely out of deconstructed Ikea bags.
