Two years after the launch of the IKEA pet collection, LURVIG , they have finally extended the range with very affordable items. Most of them are under $20. The new 2019 additions do not look as groundbreaking as the ones from the initial launch, but they are still noteworthy and enhance the entire range. To develop the new items, IKEA called upon pet-loving designers and trained veterinarians. “The biggest challenge is not to humanize pet products,” Dr. Barbara Schäfer explains. “It’s really important to use animal’s natural needs and behaviors like how they sleep, eat or play as starting points. Then we can design a product that fits in with our ‘human needs’ such as style and form.” Schäfer works with product risk assessment at IKEA and happens to be a trained veterinarian. Designing to fit natural behaviour and needs Sleeping For example, when it comes to sleeping, cats love to relax in clean and enclosed spaces and to lie on furry and cozy textiles. Dogs don’t care so m...