It has managed to stay relevant in its 75+ years journey and is still going stronger than ever. The main reason behind its success has been the continuous churn out of innovation coupled with relatability. But how does it manage to do so? To do so, we will have to take a little tour through the tales of its nascent creation.
Kick-off that made the mark
Behind every brand is a strong-willed individual that has the resilience to not only change their own life but alter the course of society. The person that built the IKEA from scratch is none other than Ingvar Kamprad. In fact, the first two letters of the brand name are derived from the initials of the founder’s name, and the latter two are from his farm’s name and the name of a nearby village, respectively.
He was merely 17 years old when he started venturing into the field of business and was a self-made billionaire until his demise in 2018. He was also ranked at the 8th position on the world’s richest person list before his passing. Like with every success story, this one was also filled with abundant hardships and challenges that made each step heavier than the previous one. The most prominent difficulty that Ingvar Kamprad faced at every single stage was his dyslexia.
The way out
He was raised in a rural farm setting in Sweden. People around him were all getting back to farming for their livelihood but he stood far from the crowd. Rather, he seemed incessantly interested in trying his hand in making his own business. So in his youth, he would go on his bicycle around his neighborhood, making money by selling matches. But there was still something that always bothered him. He suffered from dyslexia which made studying complicated for him.
Despite that when he fared good scores he was awarded by his father with some money. This financial reward was used by Ingvar Kamprad to start what we today know as IKEA. When his business of home furnishing started growing in multitudes dyslexia came back again as a major hurdle. At that time every furniture item had a numerical code for its identity. For someone with dyslexia, it is a grueling process to remember all of them. He was not able to retain them.
So with his capability to think out of the box, he devised a plan around it. He replaced the number codes of each product with Swedish names. This made the catalog much more relatable for customers as a bookcase is no longer product no- xxx but rather Billy bookcase. With a personal touch that overcomes the problem as well as acts as a pro. What was the cause of the issue is now a solution to many at once. Crisis inventing the best aids.
Not the numbers, but the names
Listed below are the name types allocated to the furniture type according to Ingvar Kamprad’s method at IKEA.
Bed – Norwegian Place NamesSofas – Names of Towns of SwedenKitchen table – Finnish Place NamesChairs & Desks – Common Swedish Men’s NamesRugs – Danish NamesGarden Furniture Items – Swedish Islands Names
Other solutions that made through it
The creative solutions that Ingvar came up with because of his dyslexia gave way to develop many facets which made IKEA unique in the long term. It contributed to creating a niche brand identity. These factors appealed to the customers because of their simplistic nature. Two of the other solutions that were devised by Ingvar because of the challenges that dyslexia posed were:
Replacing the written instructions for furniture assembly with easy illustrations. Reducing the writing can help reduce the stress that one might experience as soon as one sits down with the manual to get the work done. Helping them visualize rather than getting their brain wrapped in the cobwebs of jargon.
Inclusion of Allen Key and the screws that are essential with the flat package of the furniture that will get delivered. A dyslexic person can get anxious with distractions like a lack of appropriate resources to get started on the work.
Conclusion
Crisis invents the best aids. This is reinstated by how innovatively and courageously Ingvar Kamprad faced his dyslexia. His willpower proved that nothing can come between your goal and you if you are willing to look outside the box.
Did the founder of IKEA have dyslexia?
Yes, Ingvar Kamprad who is the founder of IKEA had dyslexia.
What was the solution that Ingvar came up with because of dyslexia?
Ingvar, the founder of IKEA, replaced the furniture identification number codes with Swedish origin names.
What is the most famous product of IKEA?
Billy Bookcase is the most famous product in the IKEA catalog.
