Light Engines: Reading in Bed
Introducing The Place — 11.12
Place: My Bedroom
The place where my bed is located is very minimalistic and exists solely to aid the activity of sleeping. I usually do all of my work and hobbies in my study room, so that I, a sleep-lover, do not convince that I can get work done in my bed.
Feelings/words associated with my bedroom:
- Fatigue, warmth, comfort, closure: I feel very safe and comfortable in my bedroom with everything being dark and warm. I feel that the idea of being in the room itself automatically reminds me that I have no other things on my agenda and I can call it a day (not all the time, but usually). I usually stay in this room laying down rather than sitting up even when I am not sleeping. I am wondering if the lighting engine I am about to design could exist in a way to aid reading while lying down.
- Darkness, deep sleep, alarm clock
Therefore, I currently do not have any other sources of light other than the default ceiling lights that came with the room. Creating a lamp to help the activity of reading in bed would provide an entirely new purpose and function for my sleeping room.
Experiments with Paperstock and Light — 11.13
The type of lightbulb I purchased is frosted and has a has a warm tone to it. When lit on white paper stock, the light became more yellow. I began wondering if this would be helpful or not in aiding one’s reading experience in bed, so I am planning to purchase a lightbulb that is more white and less warm. I also want to experiment with unfrosted lightbulbs.
From my experiment with changes to the tone/color of the light, I learned that the more fluorescent substance. My paper towel and tissue don’t have fluorescent material, but the A4 printer paper does. This effect creates a more white luminance for the experimental lamps, but because the lightbulb eminates warm light, it creates a more pink ambience.
Sketch Models I — 11.07.20
After experimenting with various paper stocks and other materials, I began my modeling process with a simple category: the amount of exposed bulb and raw light created by a lamp shade.
- Raw bulb light emitted on book
I am currently using a warm white light. I tried experimenting by holding the raw light bulb to see what effect it has on illuminating the paper and my eye sight, but without any shade, my eyes hurt too much and could not focus at all on the book. I created a origami shade with legal paper so that the bottom minimal light is directly aimed towards the viewer’s light and that the direction of the light rays are guided to land on the paper book. This created a warm yellow illumination onto a light grey paper.
Then, I wanted to test the effect a full shade on the degree of illumination. Using legal paper, the emitted light was much whiter and cooler compared to the first try.
Sketch Models II — 11.19.20
1. Waterdroplet-cylinder
2. Open-cylinder
This idea conveys the ability to both stand and lie down, which can aid the reading experience from various postures. However, the gap created in the top part makes the paper extremely flimsy. The purple light is interesting, but I don’t think it aids the eye to read at ease because it feels too artificial.
3. Cylinder-fan
In this model, I wanted to convey the idea of being able to control the amount of light that is exposed imitating the form of a collapsible fan.
4. Shelf-light-box
Sketch Model III–11.25.20
Today was a peer review session.
Feedback that I received:
We like that it looks like the height of the light can be adjustable. Others don’t like how scrunched up it looks when shorter. Only shown with photos of the light on. First picture on the bottom is very satisfying in folds and edges. Paper lantern, accordianthe context is appropriate it reminded one of our members of a lamp they used to have. It is hard to telll how the form compounds becuse there is no book featured in the photos. We would also like a sense of scale.I wish the form was more directional because it reminds us more of a night light than a reading light, and the light might want to be made sturdier because in bed you might want to move it around more.
My response:
I agree that I should make the lighting engine to be more deliberate in is specific function as a reading light. The scrunchable feature was an example/exploration of an adjustable feature, and I am considering whether or not I should change that into a different form that is adjustable. I need to take better pictures that are in context as well!
From today’s iteration, I understood that this time I was focusing only on the form of the lamp, disregarding the interactions the form would create with the user reading a book. This sketch model is highly experimental, and because the form is very intricate and the quality rough (lack of experience in origami), it is difficult to utilize the transformable (expanding and shrinking) quality it has. I tried this kind of origami model because I thought it would be effective for the user to be able to adjust the size of the lamp while using, but I think I made this transformable quality unnecessarily complicated.
My goal for the next model:
- Keep the transformable quality simple and intuitive to use. If transformable quality is used, make it intentional and purposeful.
- Use layers of paper
Refined Model — 12.01.20
From this image, I learned that the layering of paper causes the light to be more yellow. The outer layer of paper is thicker than the one inside, so I wonder if this is caused by the use of different paper or merely just by layering.
I was debating between this sector form and a cylindrical form, but I realized that if I also wanted to lay it down horizontally, then I should make it preventable from rolling away.
From the feedback I received last class, I thought that the lamp should first best fulfill its responsibility of providing targeted light that aids the activity of reading. From my previous experiences of creating a lighting engine, I was able to understand that when I want my targeted light to be soft with only one layer of paper shade, I should not use a bare light bulb. Last class, Steve suggested covering the bulb with tissue paper may help soften the rays, so I decided to do that this time.
(insert pic of tissue paper bulb)
Changes I want to make from here: Stacie pointed out the visible socket on the top of my lighting engine when it stands vertically. I agree that this adds informality to the finishing of the work, so I think I will create a new version where the bulb comes from below
Final Model — 12.03.20
The main reason why I wanted to accentuate tranformability in this project was because I thought that the idea of a light source than can adjust to the user’s comfort would be the effective given the setting of a bedroom.
Personally, when I lay in bed, I tend to move and change my posture frequently. I thought that if I wanted to change my posture but it hindered me from getting enough light to read a book at ease, that would be really disturbing. This is why I wanted to build an engine that can both stand vertically and lay horizontally, so that I would be place it where ever I want want.
