3 ms·

The instructions definitely aren't shitty. Pictures-only makes it really simple and the instructions are clear and display exactly which components are required

The instructions definitely aren't shitty. Pictures-only makes it really simple and the instructions are clear and display exactly which components are required at each step.

yongjik 9y ago
Some instructions are pretty confusing. There are places where a more mindful manufacturer would have said "Please remember to only assemble leg 1, 2 and 3, but not 4, because you will have to insert foobar in Step 7 later." But of course IKEA doesn't want to pay translators to write that sentence in 20+ languages, so pictures only it goes.
majormajor 9y ago
They're simplified to the point of minimal cost, not to the point of maximal clarity. Here's how you make it far easier: Label the pieces by type: A, B, C, etc Add corresponding annotations to the manual. Other brands do this. It vastly reduces the amount of time spent "is this the right piece of plywood? Or is it this other one? Which of these two screws?" Some context through text would help even more in certain places, but you don't even have to go that far to make it a lot easier for people not familiar with matching parts to diagrams.
- WillPostForFood 9y ago
  They do label all the screws and small parts, which are easiest to confuse. It really isn’t necessary for the large pieces.
  - majormajor 9y ago
    I put this together last week, https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40219285/ https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40219285/ , and didn't have those labels for that. That's not the hardest one to keep the screws separate, but I've seen worse that I'm pretty sure were tossed all together, too. What's fun about that nightstand is that you have to really look at the picture in details to figure out which side up and which side forwards for the drawer slider stuff.
    - rimliu 9y ago
      My father-in-law and me assembled entire kitchen in a day. It came in 115 boxes and required some custom cutting for the cabinets to make the space for the gas pipe which goes across the wall. So "IKEA is difficult to assemble" idea looks very weird to me.
ghgfhgfhn 9y ago
They are very good. But you have to read them a little like an advanced mathematics text book. Every line is important, it won't tell you something twice. Don't skip things, you will come unstuck

The instructions definitely aren't shitty. Pictures-only makes it really simple and the instructions are clear and display exactly which components are required at each step.

yongjik 9y ago

Some instructions are pretty confusing. There are places where a more mindful manufacturer would have said "Please remember to only assemble leg 1, 2 and 3, but not 4, because you will have to insert foobar in Step 7 later." But of course IKEA doesn't want to pay translators to write that sentence in 20+ languages, so pictures only it goes.

majormajor 9y ago

They're simplified to the point of minimal cost, not to the point of maximal clarity. Here's how you make it far easier: Label the pieces by type: A, B, C, etc Add corresponding annotations to the manual. Other brands do this. It vastly reduces the amount of time spent "is this the right piece of plywood? Or is it this other one? Which of these two screws?" Some context through text would help even more in certain places, but you don't even have to go that far to make it a lot easier for people not familiar with matching parts to diagrams.

WillPostForFood 9y ago
They do label all the screws and small parts, which are easiest to confuse. It really isn’t necessary for the large pieces.
- majormajor 9y ago
  I put this together last week, https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40219285/ https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40219285/ , and didn't have those labels for that. That's not the hardest one to keep the screws separate, but I've seen worse that I'm pretty sure were tossed all together, too. What's fun about that nightstand is that you have to really look at the picture in details to figure out which side up and which side forwards for the drawer slider stuff.
  - rimliu 9y ago
    My father-in-law and me assembled entire kitchen in a day. It came in 115 boxes and required some custom cutting for the cabinets to make the space for the gas pipe which goes across the wall. So "IKEA is difficult to assemble" idea looks very weird to me.

ghgfhgfhn 9y ago

They are very good. But you have to read them a little like an advanced mathematics text book. Every line is important, it won't tell you something twice. Don't skip things, you will come unstuck