IKEA Hemsäker
Hemsäker is IKEA’s first global insurance product developed by SwissRe. I led the product design and creative activities.
Company: IKEA / SwissRe
Date: 2019 - 2020
Role: Creative & Product Design
Format: Web Application
The Background
IKEA HEMSÄKER insurance targets users' basic need to feel secure - and thereby create a better life at home by expanding the IKEA product offering from furniture to also include digital services.
Our objective was to design a user-friendly product featuring a simplified application process. The result was HEMSÄKER, a 100% digital, mobile-first product developed through a collaboration between iptiQ (a Swiss Re company) and IKEA. To explore the details of this offering, please visit IKEA.ch
This project was a year-long journey of collaboration with diverse global stakeholders, each with their own set of expectations. A significant challenge involved integrating the product requirements with IKEA's brand guidelines into the white-label platform. The initial version of HEMSÄKER was tested with users across Switzerland, the United States, Germany, and Malaysia. Based on their feedback, we refined our ideas and further engaged with users through in-depth interviews and focus groups in Singapore and Switzerland.
The product officially launched in early 2020 in both Singapore and Switzerland and was made available in four languages. Throughout this process, we employed a design thinking approach to ensure that our design choices were underpinned by both qualitative and quantitative data, guaranteeing a product that truly resonates with its users.
Building trust page by page
In developing HEMSÄKER, we identified a widespread issue in the insurance industry: the complexity and intimidation people feel towards understanding and engaging with insurance products. Recognizing this, we aimed to transform this challenge into an opportunity by enhancing the user experience. We pinpointed complexity and cost as the primary hurdles to insurance adoption and set out to simplify the process, employing clear and straightforward language throughout.
We meticulously wireframed, prototyped, refined, and user-tested each application page to guarantee an optimal user experience. Our approach was grounded in the principle of early and frequent testing with real users, ensuring the development of a product that met actual user needs rather than assumed ones.
Continous iterations
A significant challenge we faced was maintaining a streamlined process while thoroughly informing users about the intricacies and options of a complex product. This was particularly evident in the design of the quote and summary pages. To achieve a version that satisfied both users and business needs, we underwent numerous rounds of experimentation and user validation.
Below are a few steps highlighting the evolution from the initial to the final live version.
Version 1
Version 2
Version 3
“Combining the reach and trust of IKEA with a new digital insurance solution for the many people is a great way to align the vision of IKEA to create possibilities for better living.”
Magnus Fredrikson - Expansion Manager at Ikano Group.
