Anna Efverlund

School was a challenge for Anna as a child due to dyslexia, but her love for handling different materials started young. A cherished childhood memory is playing with her grandmother’s colourful buttons for hours. That same joy of creating magic from simple things has inspired her work. “As a designer for IKEA, you need to think differently and have a childlike spirit.”

It wasn’t until Anna started her education in industrial design in 1970 that she came into her own. She made a plan to move abroad by age 27. In 1977, Anna relocated to Brazil as head of design for a Swedish bike brand. For two and a half years, she designed everything from mopeds to bike factories before returning to Sweden just as IKEA was looking for new designers. “IKEA seemed a bit old-fashioned to me, with all the pine furniture, but they did fun things too. I brought samples of my work to my interview, including a big plastic duck children could ride on.”

Anna’s playful approach to problem-solving impressed IKEA. Her creativity, engineering skills and expertise in materials like plastics made her a great fit for the brand. She got the job and quickly got to work on practical and creative solutions, always with a little extra to brighten people’s day. She enjoyed working with a team, always pushing boundaries. “If you can laugh and play together, it’ll show in the results,” she said. She loved visiting factories, where cross-pollination happens: “One thing leads to another – that’s how great ideas come about,” she explained.

In 1994, Anna moved with her young son to Thailand, where she and her team had six months to design 100 toys for the launch of Children’s IKEA. “IKEA was the best workplace for single mothers. They did everything to support us,” she remembers.

Anna also graduated with the first class from the unique IKEA ‘Children’s School’ in which leading child development experts ran workshops for six months, preparing for the opening of Children’s IKEA in 1997. This led Anna and her coworkers to dive deep into their childhoods, exploring the formative 0–7 years. “We realised how important those years are for shaping who you become. We knew Children’s IKEA would be truly impactful for kids. We felt like pioneers!”

When IKEA brought in a fresh batch of new designers in the 1990s, Anna often mentored the newcomers, helping them settle in. “It can be scary arriving at such a big company. I wanted them to feel less afraid!” Some, like designer Maria Vinka, became close collaborators. In 1997, they started travelling together as part of the IKEA collaboration with UNICEF, working with local artisans to empower women and help send their children to school.

Towards the end of the 1990s, Anna teamed up with designer Mikael Warnhammar to create an updated play area model for IKEA stores. Named SMÅLAND, after the region where IKEA was born, it was filled with toys and furnishings inspired by lingonberry bushes and birch tree trunks. It took five years to complete and was a great success.

Anna left IKEA in 2014 after 35 years. As a retiree, she still occasionally takes on creative projects and collaborates with IKEA. Her imaginative approach and talent for having fun have left a lasting legacy at IKEA. “Working there was a joy,” she reflects. “I was able to do what I wanted, and I always accepted the consequences, good or bad. I made lifelong friends and saw the world. We had so much fun and got up to plenty of mischief.”