Learning from IKEA Hacking: "I'm Not One to Decoupage a Tabletop and Call It a Day."

Related comments: Jill's blog.

Summary:
Daniela Rosner and Johnathan Bean, two UC Berkeley students, present their findings about the activities of the DIY community, specifically in the area of IKEA furniture "hacking."  These hackers take pieces of IKEA furniture kits and cobble them together in new and interesting ways as a method of artistic expression, practical modification, or just to see what they can create.  The challenge in IKEA hacking is to create something new that has no instructions, though participants have increasingly reached out to other hackers via online communities like  instructables.com and ikeahacker.com.  The paper gives an overview of IKEA hacking and delves a little into the rationale for it -- DIY-types enjoy the change of pace provided by working with their hands to create something physical, in contrast with their daily jobs; the presence of IKEA products in homes and workplaces has become so prevalent that "hacking" provides participants a way to personalize their furniture and distinguish it from others; and displaying creativity and ingenuity in hacking can be very rewarding to the participant.

Discussion:
Being a participant in (or at least a follower of) one particular DIY community -- music -- I can understand and appreciate the appeal of creating something new from readily-available parts and seeking to put together something totally individual without any kind of manual or assistance.  One thing the paper hit on very well was the online community aspect of hacking.  Collaboration is a huge part of any DIY community -- participants can inspire and be inspired by the work of others, share ideas, show off their creations, and get help if necessary.  This kind of collaborative, supportive environment really fuels participation.  One of the most interesting points of this paper was the idea that IKEA has no style; that it has become so ubiquitous that any style it held has disappeared.  This "lack of style" really gives DIY-types a wide-open playing field to create something that would never hit a store or showroom floor.