IKEA's homepage

“A beautiful grid, but tiny details lock out real people.”

IKEA's clean, structured grid looks beautiful. But beneath the surface, basic accessibility is treated as an afterthought. Tiny navigation arrows turn simple clicks into physical barriers for anyone with unsteady hands. White text printed over bright, busy photos washes out completely, leaving visually impaired shoppers in the dark. True utility must serve everyone, not just those with perfect vision.

Usability

4.2/10

Physical and visual barriers block basic navigation. Tiny targets and low-contrast text make simple tasks exhausting.

Visual Design

5.0/10

The grid is clean, but text legibility is sacrificed for style. Overlaid words disappear into busy background photos.

Narrative & Storytelling

5.5/10

The visual story of seasonal organization is clear, but the underlying code leaves screen-reader users behind.

Innovation

4.0/10

The layout sticks to standard retail patterns, missing the chance to build a truly inclusive, adaptable shopping experience.

What's wrong

Tiny touch targets on navigation arrows

The navigation arrows on cards E10, E11, E12, E15, E16, E17, and E18 are far too small. For shoppers with motor tremors, arthritis, or large hands, tapping these tiny targets is physically exhausting.
Illegible white text over busy photographic backgrounds

Cards E11 and E12 overlay white text directly onto light, busy photos. Without a dark scrim, the words wash out completely, locking out visually impaired shoppers.
Low-contrast legal and disclaimer text

The footer disclaimer (E19) uses light gray text on a white background. This critical offer information is invisible to older adults and low-vision users.

What to fix first

Enlarge interactive targets on all card navigation elements

Expand the interactive hit target of the arrow buttons on E10, E11, E12, and E15-E18 to a minimum of 48x48 pixels. This ensures shoppers with limited dexterity can navigate without frustration.
Add high-contrast scrims behind text overlays

Apply a semi-transparent dark gradient behind the text on campaign cards E11 and E12. This guarantees a minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio, keeping the text readable for everyone.
Darken and enlarge footer disclaimer text

Increase the size of the footer text (E19) to at least 12px and change its color to solid black. This ensures critical terms are legible to all shoppers.

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