IKEA måla
I’m proud to have been one of two designers selected to develop a new MÅLA range, the creative series for children at IKEA. Every detail was carefully designed to fit kids’ hands and motor skills, support their creativity, and keep mess to a minimum—so they can focus on making, exploring, and creating.
IKEA MÅla
Before designing MÅLA, our product development team visited a few world-renowned daycare centers known for nurturing children’s creativity, as well as local preschools where children create and play every day. We observed children cutting, drawing, painting, and coloring again and again, using all kinds of pens, scissors, paper, and paint.
MÅLA is the result of all that insight—designed to make creating as fun, easy, and hassle-free as possible.
IKEA MÅLa
I’ve always loved color and probably have at least fifty favorites, so picking only twelve for the MÅLA felt-tip pens was impossible! How could I decide which ones deserved a spot? Instead of guessing, I decided to let the real experts choose: the children they were designed for.
I brought along felt-tip pens in every color I could find and spread them out across kindergarten tables so the kids could draw freely. After collecting hundreds of drawings and counting every color they had used, the twelve most popular ones became the winners. Luckily, today there’s also a larger MÅLA felt-tip pen set and two different watercolor sets… because honestly, there’s no such thing as too many colors!
IKEA MÅLa
I actually got the idea for this watercolor box as a little girl. I found it frustrating to look for brushes and water cups while painting, and my mom worried they would tip over. I was also disappointed by the wishy-washy colors in typical low-quality watercolor sets for children.
Imagine my excitement when I finally had the chance to design the watercolor box I had dreamed of since childhood—with rich, highly pigmented colors, two mess-free water cups, and built-in storage for everything you need.
IKEA MÅLa
Some of my favorite childhood memories come from drawing with sidewalk chalk. I still remember filling the pavement outside our house with rainbows, flowers, and hopscotch squares, until my hands were dusty in every color imaginable.
When designing these chalks for the MÅLA series, I wanted them to feel joyful, colorful, and easy for children to hold—without breaking while drawing. And of course, they needed a practical storage box so they could come along on little outdoor adventures, while also helping protect them from humidity between masterpieces.
IKEA MÅLa
Even though MÅLA pens, paint, watercolors, and felt-tip pens may look like the ones you already have at home—they’re not. Along with non-toxic, high-quality pigments and durability, they’re designed to stay in place, reduce mess, and they include built-in storage. Created for real life, so parents can worry less and kids can focus on making.