IKEA
Designing a better return experience in moments of frustrationOverview
Returning a product is rarely a positive experience.
It’s often driven by disappointment, confusion, or urgency.
For IKEA, the challenge was to better understand this moment—and redesign the return journey to reduce friction and emotional stress.
This project focused on uncovering what customers actually go through during returns, and translating those insights into clear, empathetic service improvements.
The goal
Improve the return experience by:
identifying friction in the online return flow
understanding emotional thresholds during the process
translating insights into actionable service improvements
The focus wasn’t just on usability—
but on how the experience feels when something goes wrong.
The challenge
Returns sit at the intersection of:
logistics
digital flows
and customer emotion
Customers entering the return journey are often:
frustrated (product didn’t meet expectations)
uncertain (what steps to take)
or under time pressure
At the same time, the process itself can feel:
unclear
rigid
and lacking empathy
The challenge was to move beyond surface-level usability issues
and uncover the real moments where frustration builds.
our Approach
We focused on qualitative research to deeply understand the experience.
1:1 customer interviews
Conducted in-depth sessions with customers who recently went through
a returnExplored both the functional journey and the emotional experience
Identified key pain points, expectations, and decision moments
The goal was not just to map what users do—but to understand what they feel at each step.
Mapping the emotional journey
Instead of looking at the process as a series of steps,
we analyzed it as a series of emotional thresholds.
We identified moments where:
confusion turns into frustration
uncertainty leads to hesitation
lack of clarity creates distrust
This helped uncover not just where the experience breaks—
but why it feels difficult.
the Outcome
The project helped shift the perspective on returns:
From:
→ a logistical process
To:
→ a customer experience that requires clarity and empathy
Key outcomes:
Clearer understanding of customer needs during returns
Identification of critical friction and stress points
Actionable improvements for both flow and communication
the signal
What happens when you don’t just design the process—but really think about how someone feels going through it?
You start removing the moments that make people frustrated or unsure.
Things become clearer, easier, and a lot less stressful.
And instead of customers feeling stuck or annoyed,
they feel like they can actually get through it—without friction, without doubt.