Moodboards.

These mainly look at the possibilities of style, form, colour and interaction.

images from www.pinterest.com and google.


From each of these I see a possibility in interaction which can be divided in the following manner:

I think the themes are broad and flexible enough to allow or accommodate material versatility/constraints (gathered by previous knowledge or after exploring the material better).

Mindmapping.

I did a small mindmap trying to see the possibilities with the theme but at the same time bearing in mind the following:

- the products I intend to design: lamp types, novelty

- the material: possibilities, limitations

- interactions: mechanical or electronic.

- Client's strengths and limitations

(click on image to enlarge)

While doing this I categorized the various topics that seemed to be emerging with respect to the scope of the project.

Visa et al.

I have been asked time and again, why I haven't updated my blog for the past two weeks.

Well, it just so happened that right after I got back from my review in Bangalore, I was working on my Visa application and it did consume a lot of time. After a week of going back and forth between the German Consulate, Deutsche Telekom AG and gathering all the paperwork required, I finally own a Visa for Deutschland.

YAY. :)

You will see more on my progress with respect to the project in a day or two.

Paula Scher on some Serious Play!

Play it is.

So after hitting my head against the wall trying to find a suitable theme for the interactions and asking my myself a hundred times 'What exactly is the play I propose to achieve?', I began looking up the word 'play' itself.

play

(verb)

- To occupy oneself in amusement, sport, or other recreation

- Engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose

I was still unsure of what I wanted to do then. While still looking up images for 'play', somehow this image really hit me.

Somewhere I began to realize, that using Play as a theme actually made the most sense as it was broad with many meanings and connotations (giving me enough to find something suitable in context with the project). Its an antonym (not literally but in some sense) of the word mundane, that my project talks about i.e. doing away with the mundane interaction of a piece of light. And I would be literally be 'Playing with Light'.

Vyes Behar on Designing for people

Light Source Types

The performance of anylight fixture depends very much on the light source (bulb) used. Different bulbs produce different lighting effects, and many bulbs have widely varying performance. To save energy, select the most efficient light bulb that will provide the type of lighting you need.

Lighting Measurements Terminology

Wattage: The amount of electricity consumed by a light source

Lumens: The amount of light that a light source produces

Efficacy: Lumens per watt

Footcandles: The amount of light reaching a subject

Types of Bulbs

Incandescent Bulbs

Incandescent bulbs produce light when an electric current passes through a filament and causes it to glow. Because they are less energy efficient than other light sources, they are best used for task lighting that demands high levels of brightness.

Fluorescent Bulbs

Fluorescent bulbs produce light when an electric arc passes between cathodes to excite mercury and other gases producing radiant energy, which is then converted to visible light by a phosphor coating.They use 1/5 to 1/3 as much electricity as incandescents with comparable lumen ratings and last up to 20 times longer. Compact types are used in smaller, trimmer fixtures such as recessed downlights, wall sconces, close-to-ceiling fixtures, and track lights. Screw-in types can be used in place of incandescents in standard lamp sockets. Available in a wide spectrum of colors. Warm white tones best duplicate the color of incandescents.

Today's fluorescent bulbs come in a wide selection of sizes and can produce warm tones of light similar to those of incandescents.

High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Bulbs

High-Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs produce light when an arc passes between cathodes in a pressurized tube, causing metallic additives to vaporize. They have long lives and are extremely energy efficient, but - with the exception of metal halides - they do not produce pleasing light colors. In residential settings, HIDs are most often used for outdoor security and area lighting.

There are four types of HIDs:

Metal Halide

High-Pressure Sodium

Low-Pressure Sodium

Mercury Vapor

LEDs

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) produce light when voltage is applied to negatively charged semiconductors, causing electrons to combine and create a unit of light (photon). In simpler terms, an LED is a chemical chip embedded in a plastic capsule. Because they are small, several LEDs are sometimes combined to produce a single light bulb.

LED lighting in general is more efficient and longer lasting than any other type of light source, and it is being developed for more and more applications within the home. LEDs are currently popular in under-cabinet strips and some types of down-lights.

Lighting Types

There are three basic types of lighting that work together in your home:

Ambient (general lighting)

Task

Accent

A good lighting plan combines all three types to light an area according to function and style.

Ambient lighting provides an area with overall illumination. Also known as general lighting, it radiates a comfortable level of brightness without glare and allows you to see and walk about safely. In some spaces such as laundry rooms, the ambient lighting also serves as the primary source of task lighting.

It can be accomplished with chandeliers, ceiling or wall-mounted fixtures, recessed or track lights and with lanterns mounted on the outside of the home. Having a central source of ambient light in all rooms is fundamental to a good lighting plan.

Task lighting helps you perform specific tasks, such as reading, grooming, preparing and cooking food, doing homework, working on hobbies, playing games and balancing your checkbook. It can be provided by recessed and track lighting, pendant lighting and under-cabinet lighting, as well as by portable floor and desk lamps.

Task lighting should be free of distracting glare and shadows and should be bright enough to prevent eye strain.

Accent lighting adds drama to a room by creating visual interest. As part of an interior design scheme, it is used to draw the eye to houseplants, paintings, sculptures and other prized possessions. It can also be used to highlight the texture of a brick or stone wall, window treatments or outdoor landscaping.

To be effective, accent lighting requires as least three times as much light on the focal point as the general lighting surrounding it.

Accent lighting is usually provided by recessed and track lighting or wall-mounted picture lights.

- From the American Light Association Website

TED talk by Rogier van der Heide: Why light needs darkness

Interactive Lighting

I forgot to post the link for this website earlier.

Silas had given me the link to this company called Mathmos based in the UK that made innovative lamps. Much to my surprise its the same company that designed the famous Lava Lamp!

They do have quite a few interactive lighting products like the Airswitch Lights, Thaw Ice Candle, Touch Control Mood Light.

I will keep posting more websites as and when I find them.

Context? Story? Theme?!

I am looking for a context my products would fit into. Should the products be commentary+speculative or just addressing a need? The problem in the former is that the products would be catering to fewer people and have a strong tendency to become art. But monkey business does cater to a very niche market due to the handmade products USP. Having said that, I do need to create products that are functional. How should I incorporate the two?

Below are a few lighting products that involve the user, making them only interactive.

Dan La Barca from Rezek/Artemide lighting

Controlling the the amount of light is this design's strongest feature, right up there with its creative shape.

Some of Marti Guixe's products:

Cau Lamp

An element, with the shape of a lamp acting as the avatar in order to re-contextualize the world famous "worker's lamp".

Cau Sospensione

Cau orignally as a table lamp now Cau Sospensione and Sospensione Tied.

Do Link

Attach anyth

ing in betwe

en the base and shade of this lamp yet to be formed.

Do Scratch

Let the light escape where you choose to scratch the surfa

ce. You make it as creative as you want it to be through your personal graffiti.

Do Reincarnate is intended to breath new life into objects of which one is tired.

The almost invisible nylon lamp is draped over the chosen lamp, connected to the ceiling plug provided and hung up in the ceiling. So then an old table lamp, apparently floating freely, suddenly seems mysteriously new.

I am confused if I should decide on using electronics now or after I have a substantial theme to play upon. I am still not sure if I should venture into electronics considering the time period, the investment and the affordability. Also, there is a certain kind of instability that is associated with electronic products.

The main issues that are bothering me:

- can electronics be used to make working prototypes that can be easily launched into the market? and the electronics being completely reliable?

- will the products fit into the price range Monkey Business is looking for?

- If not with electronics/sensors how else will I change the interaction I aim to bring in?

- Will the possibilities in interaction be limited if no electronics are used? or will mechanical interactions play make more sense for this project?

Century of the Photon?!

Research and study at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shows a myriad of possibilities in Smart Lighting. Click here for the quarterly.

Smart Lighting

Something I stumbled upon.

Target Audience

The field research and conversations with shopkeepers, customers, a few friends and family has made me realize that the audience I will be aiming for would be college students, young professionals, tech savvy people mainly in their early 40's; basically anyone and everyone belonging to the IPod generation. By the IPod generation I mean people who belong to the time when the Ipod was first released and the ones born during or post the release. This is because they tend to have the flair or aptitude to understand technology and its features better than their older generations. Besides, they can easily adapt to change, do appreciate innovation and prefer products with a certain sense of dynamism.

I am not sure if this makes sense. Worth pondering over though.

Maybe building personas would make more sense?

Offbeat vs. Regular

I categorized my research into three main categories determined by the aesthetics or form of the pieces of lighting. These being:

- Rustic : having an old classical or traditional style (ornate and embellished

- Contemporary : one with a less decorative more minimal style (clean, simple, pure forms and structures)

- Avant Garde : Experimental with a surface level quirk in some (having graphical elements relating to the 1950-60's; pop arty)

Rustic was a style most common to the stores that catered to a high profile clientele. These stores claimed to offer products and services that displayed luxurious comfort and elegance.

The stores that stock such lights are:

OMA decor, Raghuvanshi Mills, Lower Parel

Shimera Project Light, Raghuvanshi Mills, Lower Parel

Good Earth, Lower Parel

Muslin, Lower Parel

Abaca, Lower Parel

Bungalow 8, Colaba

Mosaic, Turner Road, Bandra West

Kapoor Light. Life. Style, Bandra West

The Contemporary style was rare in terms of the shops that displayed such products and the number of pieces stocked; only a handful. They were always tucked away in some corner of the store or were found in some other shady floor of the building that a salesman would guide you to. Most of them are imported or belong to international brands (Artemide being the most prominent) and are mainly used by advertising agencies or in bollywood sets. One of the store owners, that stocked such pieces, looking at my attire assumed I was from an advertising agency and had come to fetch some lights.

The main stores stocking such lights are:

Shimera Project Light, Raghuvanshi Mills, Lower Parel

BoConcept, Palladium

Light Options, Lower Parel

Kapoor Light. Life. Style, Bandra West

Avant Garde as a style was a fusion of bold graphics, jugaad, unconventional forms, recycled material and art. These were found in shops that claimed themselves as quirky or out of the box. Most of the client at these stores were college students, young professionals or the "artsy" kinds, basically the ones who have the flair for such products. Surprisinglymost of these were in the range of Rs 1200-40,000!

The stores that specialize in these category of products are:

Le Mill, Wadi Bunder

Loose Ends, Bandra West

Play Clan, Bandra West

Bliss Store, (Happily Unmarried) Versova

Tappu Ki Dukan, Fort

Attic (Quirkbox), Colaba

I guess this did help me understand the kind of audience I would be targeting, their sensibilities and the gamut of possibilities for interactive lighting products.

Apologies for the bad pictures in some cases, they were clicked discreetly and in much hurry (not to perturb the owner).