An wen richtet sich das Praktikum?
Das Praktikum richtet sich an junge Schweizer Talente, die über einen Bachelor-Abschluss in Industrie-/Objektdesign verfügen. Es gelten die auf der Seite «Gesuche» gestellten Zulassungskriterien. Die Schweizer Nationalität ist grundsätzlich Pflicht. Bewerberinnen mit ausländischer Staatsbürgerschaft müssen vorweisen, dass sie (mindestens) drei Jahre in der Schweiz an einer Fachhochschule für Objekt- oder Industriedesign studiert haben.
Gesucht werden Kandidatinnen und Kandidaten, die fliessend Englisch sprechen und in der Lage sind, ein Projekt von der Skizze bis zum fertigen Entwurf abzuwickeln. Und die Lust haben, ihr Wissen in der Praxis anzuwenden und Seite an Seite mit den Produktentwickler:innen von IKEA zu arbeiten, um mit ihrem Design viele Menschen zu erreichen.
Verfahren und Bewerbungsprozess
Interessierte bewerben sich ab Donnerstag 11. Januar 2024 per E-Mail in englischer Sprache bei der Ikea Stiftung Schweiz. Es muss ein PDF eingereicht werden, welches folgende Inhalte vorweist:
- Einseitiges Motivationsschreiben (maximal 200 Worte)
- CV inkl. BA-Diplom (und Arbeitszeugnissen, sofern vorhanden)
- Portfolio (mit höchstens acht Projekten, im besten Fall inkl. Illustrationen eines Entwurfsprozesses)
Aus allen eingereichten Bewerbungen wird der Stiftungsrat der Ikea Stiftung Schweiz im März zuhanden der verantwortlichen Personen in Älmhult eine Auswahl von 5 bis 10 Kandidat:innen empfehlen. Im Mai 2024 wird die ausgesuchte Kandidatin / der ausgewählte Kandidat den Bescheid erhalten, das Praktikum beginnt Anfang September 2024.
Was Dir geboten wird
- Betreuung und Begleitung durch erfahrene IKEA In-House-Designer und ein fundierter Einblick in das Konzept des Demokratischen Designs.
- Eine fünfmonatige, befristete Anstellung als „Intern“ am Hauptsitz von IKEA of Sweden (IoS) in Älmhult.
- Einen Monatslohn von 18’750 SEK (ca. CHF 1’700.00 vor Abzug Steuern).
- Eine kostenlose und natürlich möblierte Wohnung für die Dauer des Praktikums.
Bedingungen
Bewerbende müssen solide Grundkenntnisse in folgender Software vorweisen können: SolidWorks, Photoshop, Illustrator und InDesign. Bewerbende sollen ebenso bereit sein, für die Dauer des Praktikums in Älmhult zu wohnen und erklären sich damit einverstanden, während des Praktikums keinen anderen beruflichen Tätigkeiten nachzugehen und in dieser Zeit auch für kein (eigenes oder anderes) Unternehmen zu arbeiten. Und schliesslich müssen Bewerbende sicherstellen, dass ihre Krankenkassen-Police den Aufenthalt in Schweden deckt.
You have been working as an intern at IoS in Älmhult since the beginning of September. How have you settled into your new place of work?
Coming to IKEA right after finishing my Bachelor degree work, I wondered how it would be like. I had a lot of worries, how would I perform? How will the people and the office be like? But thanks to the amazing team at IKEA, who welcomed me so warmly, I now feel at ease starting this new exciting chapter of my life.
The design department at IOS is definitely one of the most impressive, inspiring spaces that a newly graduated industrial designer could even dream of working in. The first impression was quite movielike and a little bit overwhelming, just like Disneyland.
What are you currently working on?
Due to competitive reasons, I can´t share too many details about the projects I work on, but! To summarize it: The work at IKEA is full of variety and possibilities to dip into many different categories of products. That is one of the amazing parts about working as a designer at IKEA; every project includes different stories, solutions and materials – it never gets boring!
Considering the perspective of the many who will use the products, but also thinking of the factors that come with manufacturing, pricing and sustainability is a very eye-opening experience.
At the moment I am taking part in about eight projects. Bedroom furnishing, storage solutions for hallways, creative solutions for cooking & eating, working from home, ceramics, decorative items… myself I am quite surprised by the bandwidth of work I am already allowed to take part in, it is extremely fun!
What does your working day look like? Tell us a bit about the team, structures, processes, working hours…
In the morning, starting around 8.30, I get into the office and grab a coffee and a sandwich from “Mums” (our cafeteria, which is called “yummy” in swedish), and then I head up to the range area (where all designers have their desks). On my way I pass by shelves filled with product samples and tests, all kinds of materials and shapes – and at last a wall that exhibits material samples we can select from. It felt like a movie-scene when I walked through the area on my first day.
My daily work varies; sometimes I sketch, sometimes I go down to the prototype-shop to make some small models, or I work with solidworks to create more precise ideations. In the end, I throw it into the IKEA inhouse rendering-program to show it in the environment it would be used in.
The team in the design department are very skilled, impressive people. The hierarchy is very “flat”, everyone is super down to earth and humble about their work. As an intern they are curious about our ideas and opinions, wanting to hear and see what the new generation of designers has to offer. Hearing others insights on a design or discussing a topic is a normal thing in the workflow at IKEA. I don’t feel any competition between the designers, the atmophere is friendly, people collaborate and support eachother.
You have been working at IoS for four months now: What are the first lessons learnt?
IKEA is a whole ecosystem of design and functionality. The depth of how much thought goes into every piece you can find at an IKEA store is incredible. Being able to design for so many specs is a real challenge, and it takes years to fully understand all of the possibilities and limitations that there are.
But even if there are boundaries, it is definitely good to try to break them – in order to achieve more welldesigned, sustainable and affordable products.
What characterises the work at IoS in product development in particular?
It offers a lot of freedom and variety of topics for exploration. We are often asked to search broadly for ideas and approaches towards a project briefing, which is very fun! The feedbacks are always very constructive, it is a collaboration, not a competition.
How are new products developed at IoS? How much market research goes into the development of new products?
There are so many people that I have not even met yet who are busy with researching and analyzing what the many people are looking for in their homes. How to make the life of the many easier, whether it is for families, singles, couples, young or old.
Usually, the Product developer come up with a brief for a product, and the designers then try to design along the pinpoints given in the briefing.
How did you settle in Älmhult, a small town in southern Sweden in the middle of many forests?
Since I already spent a year abroad for exchange, I was not scared of entering a new environment with a different language and culture – after all, it is about learning and understanding the new place better.
Sweden is beautiful! The people here truly know how to make a place feel cozy, and I fell in love with the architecture and fika (it’s okay to take a break) culture. Because IKEA takes a lot of inspiration from the traditional swedish handcrafts “Allmoge” and scandinavian design, I am exploring nearby cities trying to find more inspirations and learning about the swedish aesthetic in everyday life.
Is there any advice you can give future interns about working and everyday working life in product development at IoS?
Don’t be scared to be yourself, even if that requires a bit of bravery. Try to be open for other’s ideas and critique, but don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t work out. Use this opportunity to learn and grow, but also dare to share your insights with an open heart. Since there are so many different people with incredible knowledge at IKEA, use the chance to talk to them or show them your ideas, who knows what may happen.