The new OMTÄNKSAM collection puts extra focus on ergonomics and functionality without letting quality interfere with style and beauty.

Beauty and function in every step

As a creative leader at IKEA, Britt Monti is used to combining different perspectives to come up with new ones. While working on the OMTÄNKSAM collection, that ability became extra valuable. Having herself suffered a stroke, she knows how small nuances in form and function can make all the difference in practice. Based on her own experiences, she has been a dedicated driving force in the project.

She noticed that looking for a certain level of functionality often means you have to give up on aesthetics. The collection is partly made as a response to that mismatch — to show that furniture that is helpful can still look good.

Physiotherapists and experts on both ergonomics as well as ageing have been vital in the design process. Besides using population statistics, many products have been evaluated by people with different needs and challenges.

This new line of products is created with human needs in focus. Needs that vary from person to person, and through our lives, no matter the cause — helping the motor skills of a 3-year-old, a broken arm, or limited mobility during pregnancy — we can all use a bit of assistance at times.