Final Year Project: IKEA

Social Challenge

In Singaporean households, conflict over personal space is a growing issue, with over 75% of parents nagging their teenagers about untidy rooms. This persistent friction leads to tension, frustration, and weakened family relationships—especially in a country where space is already limited.

As a brand that has always stood for making space better, IKEA steps in—not just as a furniture provider, but as a problem-solver, helping families navigate the delicate balance between personal autonomy and household harmony.

At its core, this issue isn’t just about messiness. It’s about respect, autonomy, and family relationships. Teenagers see their rooms as a reflection of their identity, while parents view them as part of the shared household. This misalignment leads to constant friction, where nagging replaces communication, and resentment replaces understanding.

In a country where most families live in HDB flats and compact condos, the lack of physical space heightens emotional stress. IKEA, as the leader in space optimization, takes a bold step forward—not just to organize homes but to help families rebuild trust and improve relationships through smart solutions.

Campaign Objectives:

  • Shift Perceptions: Position IKEA as more than a furniture brand—a trusted partner in creating harmony at home.

  • Encourage Behavioral Change: Inspire teenagers to take responsibility for their space, reducing household conflicts.

  • Provide a Tangible Solution: Offer IKEA-backed tools, products, and strategies to help both parents and teenagers find balance.

  • Make It Engaging & Shareable: Create an interactive experience that makes IKEA the go-to brand for family-friendly space solutions.

IKEA’s Campaign Mission: Strengthening Family Relationships Through Space

The Social Gap & IKEA’s Opportunity

What’s Missing?

  • The traditional home organization focuses on adults. Teenagers are often left out of the conversation.

  • Parental nagging is ineffective. It creates resistance rather than motivation.

  • Current solutions don’t address the emotional aspect of space-sharing and autonomy.

How IKEA Steps In

IKEA bridges the gap between home organization and family dynamics by:

  • Providing fun, empowering solutions that make teenagers feel heard.

  • Offering a practical, compromise-driven approach that parents can adopt.

  • Using design thinking and behavioural insights to improve everyday interactions at home.

The Insight

Teenagers want control over their personal space, but parents want order and cleanliness. The core issue isn’t messiness—it’s ownership.

  • Psychological Insight: Studies show that teenagers who have control over their environment feel more responsible and independent.

  • Cultural Insight: In high-density living spaces like Singapore, family tensions over personal space are intensified, making structured solutions even more necessary.

Strategic Approach

Reframing the Problem:

Instead of parents forcing organization on their kids, IKEA empowers teenagers to take charge of their space while giving parents peace of mind.

Strategy Pillars:

  1. Acknowledge the Issue – Highlight everyday struggles through relatable and humorous storytelling.

  2. Start the Conversation – Create platforms for teenagers to express frustrations constructively.

  3. Offer a Real Solution – Introduce IKEA-backed tips, tools, and products for practical conflict resolution.

  4. Encourage Long-Term Change – Drive behavioral transformation through gamification and incentives.

The Big Idea: "I Need My Space"

IKEA: Helping Families Find Space—Physically & Emotionally

IKEA positions itself as the ultimate problem solver, creating a campaign that doesn’t just sell furniture but facilitates real change in family relationships.

Neat room = No more naggy parent. More trust, more freedom.

Beyond the immediate solution, this campaign seeds the idea of organization with IKEA into the younger generation, associating tidy spaces with positive emotions. As IKEA helps teenagers improve their lives and relationships, it fosters long-term brand trust and loyalty.

Campaign Execution

1. Raising Awareness (Print & OOH Ads) – IKEA as the Hero

  • MRT & Bus Stop Posters: Call out to frustrated teenagers to share photos of their spaces and stories of nagging parents using #INeedMySpace.

  • Incentive: Participants stand a chance to win a free room makeover.

  • Illustrative Visuals: Showcase the chaos of messy rooms, with hidden clutter that teens know but parents don’t see.

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2. Driving Engagement (Microsite & Direct Mailer)

  • Microsite: A space for teens to rant about their messy rooms and explore IKEA’s solutions.

  • Direct Mailer: IKEA rephrases a teen’s rant into a gentle, constructive message to help parents understand their child’s perspective. Furthermore, providing the parents with the door tag will show the initiative to support their teen’s space request acting as a sign of agreement.

  • Call to Action: Invite families to visit IKEA together, allowing teenagers to redesign their space based on their habits and preferences.

3. Providing a Solution (Campaign App & Gamification)

  • "I Need My Space" Mobile App:

    • IKEA Recommendations: Provides organization tips, personalized room layouts, and product recommendations.

    • Parent-Teen Collaboration Planner: Families co-design the ideal shared living space.

    • Gamification: Daily habit-tracking challenges encourage teens to keep rooms tidy, earning IKEA discounts redeemable for food and products.

4. Sharing Impact (Case Study Video)

  • Video Series: Showcasing real families who transformed their spaces using IKEA’s solutions.

  • Parent & Teen Testimonials: Highlighting how the campaign strengthened family dynamics.

Key Takeaway

IKEA is not just about furniture—it’s about improving everyday life.

By tackling a real social challenge and placing IKEA at the heart of the solution, this campaign redefines the brand’s role from a retailer to a relationship builder. "I Need My Space" helps families turn conflicts into collaborations, empowering both teens and parents to create a better home environment together.

By embedding organization and harmony into the IKEA experience, this campaign ensures that future generations associate IKEA with positive emotions—seeing it not just as a store, but as a trusted partner in making life better.

Research and sources

1. Parent-Adolescent Conflicts in Singapore

2. Space Constraints in Singaporean Households

  • Compact Living Spaces:
    9 Creation. (2023). Common layout problems faced by homeowners in Singapore. 9 Creation Interior Design. Retrieved from https://9creation.com.sg/common-layout-problems-faced-by-homeowners

  • Multigenerational Living Challenges:
    Meng Design Co. (2023). Maximizing comfort: Designing homes for multigenerational living in Singapore HDB flats. Retrieved from https://www.mengdesign.co/post/maximizing-comfort-designing-homes-for-multigenerational-living-in-singapore-hdb-flats

3. Adolescents’ Need for Personal Space

  • Room Rights & Autonomy:
    Pickhardt, C. E. (2015). Room rights in adolescence. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201505/room-rights-in-adolescence