The "Life at Home" report, a global survey spanning eight different countries to specifically investigate how the world wakes up, made its U.S. debut at Dwell on Design NY. The IKEA research team picks through the findings to determine how the brand can develop products that will make people's morning routines easier.

Ydholm, the Head of Research at IKEA, says the team aims to find similarities in the data between each of the participating countries. "We are not interested in demographics; we are interested in living environments—what kinds of activities people do," he says. The goal is to improve people's everyday experience and "avoid hiccups," as in the moments when the environment gets in someone's way, according to Ydholm. The brand aims to find living solutions that not only support, but also enhace a person's daily routine. Using these observations, IKEA creates prototypes that are thoroughly tested by users before being put into production.

According to Ydholm, IKEA aims to produce two types of products. "Some things we just want to be there," he says, such as storage units. Other pieces are meant to stand out, such as a "very special lamp" that adds character to a space. The research team is constantly analyzing consumers' feedback to determine the direction to take their product lines.

Above all, Ydholm feels that the collected data points point to larger, psychological trends. "The home is the most important part of a person's life," he says. "Everyone has a home and can relate to it."

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