Dezeen Magazine

Missing Pages project is a survival guide for flat-pack furniture assembly

London studio Special Projects has created a flat-pack survival guide to avoid the "screaming arguments" that come with assembling Ikea furniture.

The three Missing Pages manuals are designed in the style of Ikea's assembly booklets and offer extra instructions to resolve the frustrations often associated with assembling flat-pack furniture.

The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects

The seed for the idea came after Special Projects created a smartphone manual for Samsung that was aimed at helping older individuals.

After researching thousands of manuals and instruction books, the studio was prompted to create a survival guide that would address the "broader emotional experience" of putting furniture together.

"Building a bookcase, assembling a bed, constructing a baby cot – these seemingly innocuous activities can be a source of frustration, negativity and, well, screaming arguments," said the studio.

The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects

Each guide addresses a different need, such as muscle strain, stress and tiredness.

DÜO sets out to relieve tension that may have accumulated during the assembly of a bed, offering couples a paper crafting exercise to defuse arguments.

The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects

STRETCHÏ recommends a series of 30-second yoga poses for easing the "the mental and physical pains of an over-intense DIY session", with the flat-pack box becoming a yoga mat.

The SLEEPÏ manual is aimed at parents building a baby cot, and includes instructions on making a paper mobile to hang over the bed.

The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects

While the Missing Pages project is modelled after Ikea manuals, the Swedish giant is not the only company producing flat-pack furniture – and its occasional frustrations.

UK design graduate Sam Wrigley recently developed a modular alternative Ikea's flat-pack furniture, creating a range of self assembly pieces that are even easier to put together.

The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects

Other companies challenging Ikea's dominance of the flat-pack furniture market include Grey Cork, which describes its pieces as "a better alternative", and Artifox, which offers quick-assembly wooden furniture that includes bike racks and desks. 

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The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects
The flatpack survival guide from Special Projects