As part of the application process for the Graphic Communication Co-worker role at IKEA Nottingham, I was asked to design a visual direction for a “Back to Uni” campaign — a seasonal thread targeting students transitioning into university living. The concept needed to feel youthful, energetic, and unmistakably IKEA, while being versatile enough to roll out across point-of-sale signage, print collateral, and in-store displays.
To express a playful, student-centric tone of voice, I illustrated a collection of familiar IKEA products in a loose, sketchbook style — representing the organised chaos of unpacking a first dorm room. Fluorescent green and pink overlays mimicked highlighter markings in a notebook, while keeping the visual system aligned with IKEA’s bold, graphic brand aesthetic. All drawings and typographic elements were hand-rendered, scanned, and converted to vector to ensure scalability across media formats.
The concept presented a cohesive visual language that could flex across POS tags, posters, digital screens, and external signage. The work demonstrated an ability to design within the constraints of a global brand system while introducing a fresh visual voice — ultimately contributing to my successful placement at IKEA Nottingham, where I worked with a multidisciplinary creative team to produce customer-focused, in-store communication.
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Rhiannon Davies, 2025