← All Work
Lily Ren
IKEA
03 — Consumer Hard Goods — 2025
Fitness, hidden in furniture.
StudioDamien Vizcarra
TermSpring 2025
ClassProduct Design 4
BrandIKEA · hypothetical
FORMÄ is a smart, space-saving Pilates reformer that folds into a comfy ottoman when not in use. Hidden storage, fold-out parts, removable top — fitness and furniture in one, designed for the small home and the big goal.
The brief I wrote myself, before any sketches. The frame the rest of the project answers to.
A reformer is a sliding resistance-based platform. Pilates is a low-impact exercise method focused on core strength, posture, and flexibility.
It's made for younger users who want high-quality, stylish equipment without the high price tag or clunky budget options sold online.
It fits modern wellness trends, saves money long-term, and lets users work out anytime — in their own space, on their own terms.
Cream tufted top, soft-corner birch frame, slim recessed pull on the hidden drawer. As it sits in the room most of the time — furniture first, fitness second.
A 24-year-old wellness enthusiast in a Los Angeles studio apartment. She wants Pilates without the studio price tag, and equipment that doesn't ruin her interior.
The product is shaped by three tensions in the home Pilates market — and resolves them by reading like furniture first, equipment second.
Pilates and reformers are expensive compared to traditional gym memberships or home workouts.
Home reformers take up space, and simplified models can be uncomfortable.
Budget reformers offer limited adjustability.
Designed with affordable materials to reduce costs while offering core reformer functionality.
Folds seamlessly into a piece of furniture — compact and useful for small living spaces.
Adjustable footbar, height-adjustable straps, customizable strap length — for different bodies, without the studio.
Four stages of process — early form, fold mechanism studies, exploded views, and final annotated refinement. Hand sketches and digital studies, in the order they happened.
Each feature exists to make the ottoman read as furniture first, then as fitness — without compromising the reformer underneath.
Allows users to customize their positioning for optimal alignment and comfort across a range of body types and exercises.
Adjustable height system — loosen a knob to raise or lower the straps, ensuring proper alignment for different bodies.
Two discreet wheels near the foot of the ottoman and integrated hand-hold cutouts on the frame make it easy to lift and reposition.
A drawer in the ottoman provides discreet storage for Pilates accessories — saving space and keeping small living areas tidy.
Folded as an ottoman, mid-fold mid-deploy, fully extended as a reformer. The same mechanism handles all three.
The CMF strategy keeps the bill of materials low while making the object read as furniture you'd choose, not equipment you'd hide.
The user-story illustration — drawn in the IKEA assembly-instruction language the brand vehicle implies.
A reformer that doesn't ask for a dedicated room. Stay consistent with Pilates without spending a fortune on memberships.