As this project is aimed towards uniforms, instead of just doing my research on the esthetic of the brand, I tried to look deeper. I wanted to learn more about the people that actually wear the Ikea uniform. In order to obtain the information I needed, I found myself walking around the local Ikea one Saturday afternoon; observing the people that work there. Maybe it’s just me, but have you ever noticed how all of them seem to have a smile on their face, but never look happy? As I was strolling by took note on one interesting thing, 90% of the people that would come up to the employees wouldn’t even say hello, as if they were talking to a cardboard cutout. And upon receiving the information they needed, they would leave without even saying thank you. Just imagine how that would make you feel, not even getting a single thank you in return for your assistance. And just keep in mind, this doesn’t accoure once a day, It happens about a thousand times…
Instead of making the employee blend in with his environment which just adds to the feeling that he is nothing more than just a talking navigational system, not a human being. The idea is to make the employee the centre of attention for a change. I want people to come up to him/her and be amazed by there appearance, now viewing them as something more than just a by-product of the facility. And what better way to do this than by using the most iconic Ikea product, the blue bag. Which brings us to the uniform, that is made almost entirely out of deconstructed Ikea bags.
