On Wednesday, June 22, Ikea announced that it would launch a virtual design tool to help its customers imagine what certain furniture may look like in their homes.
Ikea's Virtual Design Tool
According to The Verge, customers can scan their room using the company's iOS app powered by Ikea Kreativ's Scene Scanner.
Once the app is downloaded, customers can erase their existing furniture and then place the virtual ones instead, so they can see if it matches their room's décor.
If you are not comfortable scanning your room, you can choose from the 50 virtual showrooms available in the app where you can put the furniture in.
Basically, the feature is made to encourage customers to order the furniture for real after checking out its virtual versions, according to Crast.
How the App Works
The Kreative Scene Scanner app was created by Ingka Group, which is Ikea's largest store franchisee.
According to The Verge's Jon Porter, even though the app and experience are useful and helpful, they can be a bit restrictive.
Users will not have the ability to walk around the virtual showrooms, but it does place the furniture in the right places, so it accurately shows you what your home will look like after the purchase.
Also, it does not allow you to skip the process of measuring your rooms because it is needed to ensure that the furniture will fit.
To use the Ikea app, you need to start with the scanning process. Users will have to take a series of photos of their room or other parts of their home that they want to put the furniture in.
Users will also be asked to do a panoramic shot and to wave their phone in a figure-eight motion to capture the exact visual of the area.
This part of the process is only applicable for iPhone users, as it is not available for Android users yet. According to TechCrunch, the app will be rolled out for Android users in mid-2022.
As soon as the scan is done, users will be left with an image that they can tweak via the app or through Ikea's website.
Users will then have to empty out their existing furniture and add virtual furniture to the room. Currently, Ikea Kreativ has presently 12,000 items in its catalog, including rugs, furniture, accessories, and wall décor.
Kelly Gardner, Ikea's spokesperson, said that the company has plans to add support for more product categories like ceiling-mounted furniture and textiles in 2023.
Ikea Kreative's Future
Even though users can only view their virtual furniture on a 2D photo, and even though it can be restrictive, it is still a very helpful tool.
Unlike Ikea's previous app, this new version is more accurate in showing what furniture looks like in rooms, its color, size, and design.
First tested in April 2021, Ikea Kreative was initially rolled out to one million customers and immediately received positive reviews. The company has stated that it has more plans for the app in the future and to expand it to other countries.
Ikea is also working on the way to change the pain colors on the wall, according to TechCrunch.
Related Article: Ikea VR Experience Pilot Program Wants To Let You Shop In Virtual Reality
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Written by Sophie Webster
