At its 2018 Democratic Design Days event in Älmhult, Sweden, IKEA introduced an innovative, highly customizable 3D-printed gaming chair design.
With eSports education company Area Academy and Unyq, which creates 3D-printed prosthetics, IKEA painted a picture of what the entire chair-buying experience might look like in the future. As 3D printing technology allows for an immense level of product personalization, IKEA Design Director Lisa Baird described that the gaming chair has the potential to be cosmetically and biometrically altered, with assistance from in-store body scanners that provide an immersive experience.
With its augmented reality apps, innovative partnerships and futuristic food menus, the Swedish company is emerging as much more than just a producer of affordable furniture.
3D-Printed eSports Chairs
IKEA, Unyq & Area Academy Created a Customizable Gaming Chair Design
Trend Themes
1. Customizable Gaming Chairs - 3D printing technology allows for immense level of product personalization, creating potential for greater customer satisfaction and engagement.
2. Biometrically Altered Furniture - Using in-store body scanners provides a more immersive experience, allowing customer to personalize their furniture to their health needs.
3. Augmented Reality Retail Experience - By incorporating augmented reality apps, customers can visualize and interact with items before purchasing, potentially increasing sales.
Industry Implications
1. Furniture - Incorporating 3D printing technology and augmented reality apps can revolutionize the furniture industry, creating disruptive innovation opportunities for greater customization and customer engagement.
2. Prosthetics - The 3D printing technology used to create the gaming chairs could be utilized in the prosthetics industry for creating custom prosthetic limbs.
3. Esports - With the growing demand for eSports, developing custom, biometrically altered gaming chairs could provide disruptive innovation in the gaming industry.