UX #15: How IKEA takes advantage of the paradox of the active user.
IKEA’s operational genius goes all the way down to their visual instruction manuals that they provide with each furniture piece they sell.
The visual-only diagrams and no language means creates a universal manual design that IKEA can use for any country they operate in, not needing to localize or translate scripts.
IKEA takes full advantage of the paradox of the active user, which states that users never read manuals but start using the software or item immediately.
IKEA’s instruction manuals are designed to help people play and figure it out themselves as they assemble furniture and software companies can probably learn from them.
Isn’t it annoying when you get a mandatory “walkthrough” of a new software you want to use? Or an onboarding quiz when you would rather just get to it? What can UX designers learn from IKEA’s approach?
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