Building IKEA with Fredrika Inger: Designing for Price, Experience & Real Life

What if your product design didn’t start with form or function, but with price? That’s how IKEA has built one of the most beloved and iconic retail brands in the world. In this episode of Building One, Tomer Cohen sits down with Fredrika Inger, IKEA’s Chief Product and Commercial Officer, to explore how IKEA creates affordable, high-quality products at scale. With more than two decades at IKEA, Fredrika has seen the business from all sides: materials sourcing, supply chain logistics, store experience, and now the full product range. She reveals the behind-the-scenes process that powers IKEA’s approach to innovation, design, and customer experience. Fredrika shares how IKEA: Begins product design by setting a target price first, and reverse engineers from there Uses in-home research to understand how people really live and what problems they need solved Builds immersive retail experiences by showcasing full living solutions, not just furniture Leverages the five pillars of democratic design: function, form, quality, sustainability, and low price Continuously improves product assembly to simplify the customer experience and support circular design Balances global scale with hyper-local customer insights to stay relevant across 60+ countries This episode is a deep dive into product thinking at scale: how IKEA delivers design-driven, experience-rich, affordable solutions to millions, while staying relentlessly focused on real-life needs. Follow Fredrika Inger on LinkedIn. Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn.