Behind The Design: IKEA’s BILLY Bookcase Started As A Napkin Drawing
Behind The Design is a segment by DesignTAXI where we wind back to the pioneering products and icons that steered the design world forward and transformed consumer perceptions forever.
Image via IKEA
What: IKEA BILLY Bookcase
Who designed it: Gillis Lundgren
When: 1979
IKEA introduced the BILLY bookcase in 1979 and it has been one of the most iconic products of the flat-pack furniture company.
It was dreamed up in 1979 by designer Gillis Lundgren after IKEA advertising manager Billy Liljedahl lamented he just wanted a “proper bookcase” that nobody seemed to offer at that time.
Lundgren sketched the idea of the bookcase on the back of a napkin, fearing he would forget the conceptualization otherwise. “Ideas are perishable and you have to capture the moment as soon as it arrives,” he said.
Image via IKEA
He named it after Billy Liljedahl, and fast forward to today, BILLY remains the go-to bookcase in libraries and living rooms alike.
Thanks to design revamps and the sourcing of cheaper materials, IKEA was also able to reduce the price of the bookcase over time. The original BILLY is made out of oak and pine while the current one is constructed of pressed wood and laminates.
The current BILLY is also 10 centimeters (4 inches) smaller in width, reducing overall costs for raw materials and transportation. The concept of flat-packing was also introduced, which further diminished the overall costs.
“Flat-packing, continuous product development, more efficient production methods as well as increasing volumes, has allowed Ikea to make Billy even more affordable today than 30 years ago,” said Kerri Molinaro, president of IKEA Canada.
Image via IKEA
Image via IKEA
[via CBC and Unprogetto, images via IKEA]
Image via IKEA
What: IKEA BILLY Bookcase
Who designed it: Gillis Lundgren
When: 1979
IKEA introduced the BILLY bookcase in 1979 and it has been one of the most iconic products of the flat-pack furniture company.
It was dreamed up in 1979 by designer Gillis Lundgren after IKEA advertising manager Billy Liljedahl lamented he just wanted a “proper bookcase” that nobody seemed to offer at that time.
Lundgren sketched the idea of the bookcase on the back of a napkin, fearing he would forget the conceptualization otherwise. “Ideas are perishable and you have to capture the moment as soon as it arrives,” he said.
Image via IKEA
He named it after Billy Liljedahl, and fast forward to today, BILLY remains the go-to bookcase in libraries and living rooms alike.
Thanks to design revamps and the sourcing of cheaper materials, IKEA was also able to reduce the price of the bookcase over time. The original BILLY is made out of oak and pine while the current one is constructed of pressed wood and laminates.
The current BILLY is also 10 centimeters (4 inches) smaller in width, reducing overall costs for raw materials and transportation. The concept of flat-packing was also introduced, which further diminished the overall costs.
“Flat-packing, continuous product development, more efficient production methods as well as increasing volumes, has allowed Ikea to make Billy even more affordable today than 30 years ago,” said Kerri Molinaro, president of IKEA Canada.
Image via IKEA
Image via IKEA
[via CBC and Unprogetto, images via IKEA]
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