Do you recognize in the image on the header, the Ikea style that we have chosen as an example to talk about how to deal with the complexity of the VUCA world?
IKEA is undoubtedly the most successful furniture and home accessories store in the world. Good prices, good design and a do-it-yourself concept that, when it comes to assembling, piece by piece, a piece of furniture from scratch, is not so obvious. Obviously, instructions are required. And that’s where we connect this post.
If we start from the premise that the assembly of a piece of furniture is somewhat complex, since it brings together all the factors that define complexity: numerous and diverse materials, tools, skills, assembly process, safety conditions, aimed at audiences with different levels of knowledge, different languages ??… and the fact that an instruction manual, contradicting its purpose, is usually not very intuitive for the untrained, we find that IKEA has hit the nail on the head by turning complex by definition into a simple format and universally understandable.
Those little pieces of paper that come in the boxes of the furniture that they sell us have become an icon of agile learning, clarity, simplicity and effective communication. In addition to starring in many memes to indicate that something is very easy to do.
At Cookie Box we believe that the IKEA style represents this spirit of agile learning, simplification and clarity that are the “pieces” necessary to manage the complexity of this VUCA world. And all accompanied by clear and authentic communication, which makes us recognize its origin with a casual and close style.
Two samples (in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis):
Launch of a tutorial to turn one of their cheap rugs into a Game of Thrones cape since, according to Michele Clapton, the series’ costume designer, they had used this resource.
A meme created by IKEA Israel, with the social objective of reminding its customers of the obligation to stay at home during the forced quarantine period, sends through the Stay Höme “furniture” the powerful message that “it really isn’t difficult to stay at home”. Incorporating the sense of humor – the 100 rolls of toilet paper – in a complex moment to get a smile. Brilliant.
* This post is part of the eLearning ¿Change of plans? Change of plane, on how to move nimbly in a world characterized by a high rate of change and low predictability.
