The Ikea Effect

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This week, I did a lot of research about the Ikea effect for another school project. The Ikea effect is defined as a cognitive bias in which consumers place a disproportionately high value on products they partially created. The name derives from the Swedish manufacturer and furniture retailer IKEA, which sells many furniture products that require assembly. As I worked on this group project for my consumer behavior class, I began to contemplate the possessions I have that I feel this effect towards. 
I often picture my art as being simple, specifically because I gravitate towards cartoon drawings and focus less on realism. Exhibit A:
This is an old drawing from April-ish, which is very clearly no realistic (namely, the lanky limbs and dots for eyes). While I do see my art as simple, I do have a totally irrational and unfathomable love for what I create. Some people might see it and think, "Nice" while I print out three copies to hang on my wall and wonder if Leonardo diVinci would be proud of me. 
But the IKEA effect doesn't specifically apply to my art. Once, my friend and I completely assembled and L-shaped couch from IKEA. Every time someone besides us sits on it, we feel the need to remind the room that we  made it and look how cool and cozy this couch is. Not only that, but every time I go to Menchie's I feel a strong sense of pride for the cup of sprinkles and chocolate with a little bit of yogurt somewhere in there. Another example is Lego's. Remember making those sets and then placing it way out of reach and never playing with it as to protect its perfection?
As researchers realize the pertinence of the IKEA effect, marketers start to understand what makes products appealing to customers. Now, everything is "some assembly required" and customizable, because the results of a lot of research show that consumers adore things that they build way more than pre-assembled things. It comes from a sense of pride and completion. I think this is also why the DIY/Pintrest culture is so pertinent today. If consumers can find a way to make it customizable, they have a winner. 
I think this is why being a content creator is so tricky sometimes. As a creator, you will inherently value your work way more than the average viewer is going to value it. There's always the exception of people who are very self-critical, but generally speaking, a lot of people feel very passionately about what they create. It's tough to come back to a post of a drawing or video you made, only to find it has a fraction of the views/likes you wanted valued it at. It's discouraging, and it's awful that our culture has reverted to a state of likes-equaling-success.
Even after doing the project on this effect, I am reminding myself to love and appreciate what I make. It's unique, and sometimes people out there like it almost as much as I do. Remember everyone, you're worth more than the likes you get. 

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