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IKEA, KU unite to empower young designers
KUWAIT: IKEA, the leading brand for life at home, hosted a special event in collaboration with Kuwait University’s College of Architecture.
Held at IKEA for Business, the event brought together creativity and inspiration, shining a spotlight on the work of Visual Communication Design students. Guests were invited to explore a vibrant exhibition of student-designed toys, each piece blending play with education.
“At IKEA, we believe that children are the most important people in the world and every child has the right to play. Play is not just about having a good time; it is important for the future as it is an essential way of learning for life. We thank Kuwait University for giving us the opportunity to be part of the journey of young designers in Kuwait as they create toys that spark curiosity and learning in the lives of children, celebrate culture, and encourage language development; values we care deeply about at IKEA,” said Elisa Albendea, IKEA Brand and CMI Director.
The evening also featured the announcement of the top projects, with college professors and IKEA interior designers forming a judging panel to select three standout toy ideas based on their innovation, functionality, safety, and educational aspects. IKEA invited the top three winners to visit its origin for a deep dive in the IKEA product design world.
Winner Aisha Al-Ajmi with university professors and the IKEA team.
“During this course, Visual Communication Design students addressed a pressing challenge: the lack of engaging, well-designed products that are both culturally appropriate and support the Arabic language for children. With IKEA support our students brought their ideas to life through full prototypes,” said Dr. Sarah Alfalah, Assistant Professor at Collage of Architecture, Kuwait University.
“We are grateful to IKEA for their generous sponsorship and belief in our students’ potential. And we thank the students for pushing boundaries, embracing challenges, and pouring their hearts into developing these meaningful products,” stressed Alfalah Earlier this year, IKEA hosted a workshop for the Visual Communication Design students. Experts from IKEA shared insights about children’s development stages and safety considerations in product design where children’s needs stay at the core. Following the workshop, Kuwait University students toured the IKEA store to observe how these measures are implemented in children’s room settings and toys.
“At IKEA, children’s safety and development are at the heart of everything we do. We follow the strictest safety and quality standards and often go beyond them by setting our own. We were delighted to welcome students from the Visual Communication Design department to our store, and we hope that the experience inspired them to bring more safety, joy, purpose, and a better everyday life to children across Kuwait,” said Sabrina Shammas, IKEA Sustainability Manager.
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