""It would be really hard without this space to make good products, if not impossible," Axelsson says."
"Prototyping has been part of Ikea's DNA since it first started making its own furniture, but today the act of prototyping products is as much a design approach as a business strategy."
"Offering new and better products every year, with the aspiration of making them at as high a quality as costs will bear, has become the core business model."
"The nearly 2,000 products the company releases every year are produced at such a vast scale and with such tight profit margins that Ikea has cemented itself as a low-cost leader."
Ikea's prototype shop is crucial for testing product feasibility, aesthetics, and assembly details. The design process involves continuous refinement, as seen in Axelsson's inflatable easy chair, which took over a decade to develop. Prototyping is integral to Ikea's strategy, allowing the company to maintain its position as the largest furniture retailer with a 5.7% market share. The prototyping lab supports the release of nearly 2,000 products annually, enabling Ikea to offer high-quality items at low costs while expanding its global presence.
Read at Fast Company
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