ODENSE Illuminating Storage : Matching user needs with smart textiles todevelop a multi-functional furniture concept

Sammanfattning: This report presents the master thesis project carried out by Pierre Lindgren & Jacob Thagaard Hansen at KTH Royal Institute of technology for IKEA of Sweden. The project aimed to explore the capabilities of so-called smart textiles, as well as to establish clear user needs which these can meet. Based on this, a design proposal for a furniture concept was developed, with the main purpose of offering the client IKEA clearer paths for further research and development on the chosen materials. The final design proposal, which was named ODENSE, was developed based on the needs of users who want to be more active in their homes. The design proposal meets their need to have easy access to their training equipment, by way of a multi-functional storage. The storage solution offers additional functionality in the form of light, thus occupying the same space and providing the same functions as a floor lamp and a small storage shelf. The design proposal potentially offers additional environmental benefits with regard to energy consumption and CO2 emission as it merges two products and functions. As the furniture concept combines the functions light and storage, it also has the opportunity to meet more needs than what it was initially developed for. Thus, Odense has great potential to be further developed to meet the needs of even more users. The project group found great benefit in the concurrent background research on smart textiles, as it enriched the user study significantly and opened up the minds of both the interviewees and the project group members to the future development opportunities.