Use In-Home Research to Discover Real-World Problems

Tactic Description:
IKEA teams regularly visit real homes around the world to study how people actually live – not how they claim to. This grounds design in behavior, not aspiration.

Priority: Mid-term
Difficulty: Medium
Best Stage: Product Discovery

Example / Use Case:
Researchers observed that most people don’t open wardrobe drawers fully, leading IKEA to design sliding doors and shallow compartments optimized for partial access.

Guest: Fredrika Inger, Chief Product & Commercial Officer, IKEA

Executive Quote / Mindset:
“Don’t just ask customers what they want — go see how they live.”

This post has been sponsored by aweux.com

Trap / Challenge:
Relying too heavily on surveys and interviews that don’t reflect lived behavior

Time: 6–8 weeks

Impact: 4/5

Cost: $$

Team Owner: Research + Product

Tool Type + Example: Contextual Inquiry Guide – Field Research Templates

Source: Building One – Episode with Fredrika Inger

Stage Tag: Customer Insight, Design Research

Top Play Flag: ✅

Delivery Format: Podcast Interview

💡 How a Good Marketer Would Solve This:
They’d turn real-life behavior into messaging gold: “We designed this because we saw you do this.” It’s not user-centered — it’s use-centered.

✅ Implementation Checklist:

• Conduct 10+ in-home studies across regions
• Film or document surprising behaviors with consent
• Share findings internally and link to product specs
• Build features around real-world constraints (small spaces, accessibility)
• Highlight insights in product marketing (e.g. “Designed for real 45cm reach zones”)

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