IKEA | Fast Company

The Quest For A Universal Sustainability Score For Stuff We Buy

BY Andrew DentTue Dec 6, 2011

Why don't we have any idea what goes into making of most of the products on store shelves? Is that too much to ask? It's not--and it shouldn't even be that hard. READ»

ANDERS DAHLVIG

Plans For Easily Assembled Corporate Responsibility, From Ikea

BY Anders DahlvigTue Nov 15, 2011

In his new book, excerpted here, the former CEO Anders Dahlvig talks about how the furniture giant developed its environmental policies, and how they didn't try to get credit for them, just reap the benefits. His top tip: fewer press ... READ»

HARALD MULLER

A London Village Built On The Principles Of Ikea

BY Ariel SchwartzWed Nov 2, 2011

Entering an Ikea store feels like crossing the border of a meticulously decorated, vaguely Scandinavian country. But what if the principles of an Ikea store were actually used to build a real-life development? READ»

LEADERSHIP | Comment

Your Business Card Is A Billboard For Your Brand--What Does Yours Say?

BY Martin LindstromMon Jun 27, 2011

If a brand can describe its core values and philosophy on its business card without a detailed description, the brand becomes a full representation of its vision.READ»

CANNES LIONS 2011 | Comment

Beyond TROMSÖ: How Ikea And Forsman & Bodenfors Seduce Customers

BY Teressa IezziFri Jun 24, 2011

This may surprise many U.S. consumers unfamiliar with Ikea ads, but the legendary Swedish furniture company is this year's Advertiser of the Year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. In a series of videos, Filip Nilsson, chief creative officer at Ikea agency Forsman & Bodenfors, explains his shop's approach--and offers insights into the brand's massive appeal.READ»

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | Comment

Ikea Tries To Assemble A Sustainable Operation, Despite Disposable Products

BY Ariel SchwartzMon May 16, 2011

The cheap furniture giant's products are getting more stable, and they are now making more from less.READ»

THE SHARING ECONOMY | Comment

A Guide To The Shareable Life

BY FAST COMPANY STAFFFri Apr 1, 2011

This could be your life: You wake up and whip up omelets with tomatoes fresh from your SharedEarth.com garden before dressing your toddler in Gap cargo pants you scored on ThredUp. Your Zimride whisks you to the office, where ...READ»

The Sharing Economy

IKEA

IKEA Creates a Sustainability Scorecard for Its Products

BY Ariel SchwartzThu Mar 31, 2011

Wouldn't life be easier if you could look at a product and get an easy-to-understand explanation of how sustainable it was? A score that took into account whether the product can be recycled, amount of toxic chemicals used in ... READ»

ROBOTS

When Pushed, This Table Crawls Like a Huge Spider [Video]

BY Suzanne LaBarreFri Mar 25, 2011

Further proof that robots rule and humans drool, now even your dining room table has a mind of its own. Through a complex mechanism of cranks and linkages based on a 19th century walking platform by Russian mathemetician Pafnuty ... READ»

TECHNOLOGY | Comment

The 10 Most Innovative Companies In Retail

BY Fast Company StaffTue Mar 15, 2011

From Groupon to Ikea, these companies are changing how we browse the aisle and make a purchase.READ»

COOKING

Ikea Whips Up Lovely Cooking Videos to Push Its Kitchen Tools

BY Suzanne LaBarreThu Mar 10, 2011

Fresh off the success of its beautiful, minimalist baking book, Ikea has released a batch of (equally artful) videos that mix cooking lessons with product placement for micro commercials that are actually a lot of fun to ... READ»

BRANDING

User-Led Innovation Can't Create Breakthroughs; Just Ask Apple and Ikea

BY Skibsted IdeationTue Feb 15, 2011

The user is king. It’s a phrase that’s repeated over and over again as a mantra: Companies must become user-centric. But there’s a problem: It doesn’t work. Here’s the truth: Great brands lead users, not the other way ... READ»

IKEA | Comment

IKEA Makes First Greentech Investment

BY Ariel SchwartzMon Nov 1, 2010

This week, the venture capital unit announced its first investment: 2 million euro for energy storage device manufacturer Alelion Batteries.READ»

IKEA

Celebrating the Master of Imperfections, Hella Jongerius [Slideshow]

BY Suzanne LaBarreThu Oct 28, 2010

Hella Jongerius has built a career from perfecting the art of the imperfection. The Dutch design heavyweight is a pioneer in custom manufacturing, she injects everything from fabric to ceramics with minute inconsistencies, making them ... READ»

COOKBOOKS

IKEA Cookbook Transforms Recipes Into Works of Art

BY Austin CarrFri Sep 24, 2010

Cookbooks follow a simple recipe: list the ingredients, explain how they mix together, and include an image of the finished product. Covers are reserved for some maximalist jouissance-inducing meal like, say, a buttery brioche-cupped ... READ»

ILLEANA DOUGLAS | Comment

Illeana Douglas Assembles The Web's Most Beloved Hit Show--No Allen Wrench Required

BY Dan MacsaiWed Sep 1, 2010

The creator and star of "Easy to Assemble" talks about the evolution of her groundbreaking Web series and what it’s like to work for Ikea.READ»

IKEA | Comment

Ikea Denver Leads the Way for Big Box Geothermal Installations

BY Ariel SchwartzTue Aug 24, 2010

An Ikea store in Denver, Colorado is set to lead the charge for big box geothermal installations.READ»

ADAM LASSY | Comment

Robotics Turn Furniture Into Lovable (Sometimes Horny) House Pets

BY Cliff KuangThu Jun 3, 2010

Adam Lassy lends Ikea furniture an electronic soul.READ»

IKEA | Comment

Ikea's Animalistic Robotic Furniture Moves for You, Humps Your Leg

BY Austin CarrThu May 13, 2010

From NYU's ITP spring show this week, we've already told you about 3-D pop-up books with augmented reality and how cell phones could one day replace game controllers. Now Adam Lassy, another engineer and designer featured at the ...READ»

EARTH HOUR | Comment

How Businesses Are Celebrating Earth Hour

BY Ariel SchwartzFri Mar 26, 2010

Earth Hour, the annual flick-the-lights-off-for-an-hour event from the World Wildlife Fund, is coming up on Saturday. It's the perfect opportunity for corporations to demonstrate that they are dedicated to the environment, which is ...READ»