OMTÄNKSAM was designed by siblings Knut Hagberg and Marianne Hagberg, who were designers at IKEA from 1979 to 2020.
At some point in life, we may all need a little extra support in the home. It might be a more supportive chair when pregnant, a longer shoehorn after running a marathon, or just more everyday assistance due to the natural process of ageing. The OMTÄNKSAM collection was designed to be inclusive and accessible, with input from ergonomists, physiotherapists and researchers in the care industry – the Swedish word OMTÄNKSAM means ‘caring’.
Britt Monti was the creative leader at IKEA and the main driving force behind the project. She said: “If you look at IKEA catalogues from the 1960s, you’ll see we used to speak about comfort and support for older people or people with back problems. But from the 1980s, we just didn’t have these customers in mind when developing new products.”
Britt wanted to change that. She spoke with researchers, physiotherapists and doctors, other people working in the care field, and companies that design products for older people.
The OMTÄNKSAM collection contained a large number of products, from a chair, table, armchair, side table and footstool, to smaller items like a shoehorn, a jar gripper and a plate with anti-slip.
The OMTÄNKSAM chair, made in anthracite, white and yellow, was specially designed to provide good support for the back. The high, wide back also makes it possible to sit down and stand up easily with the help of your arms. The chair won a Red Dot Award in 2018.
