#personal light

[personallight-blog]

(со страницы https://soundcloud.com/personallight/the-first-morning-mix?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=tumblr)

[personallight-blog]

(со страницы https://soundcloud.com/personallight/green-track?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=tumblr)

[personallight-blog]

не претендую на звание музыканта, но начну все-таки публиковать свои треки. чуть-чуть.

[tashwong]

Personal light, explained

Tony has been hanging out at my place over the last few days, he's my East Village refugee. Over dinner last night, he pointed out that I haven't clearly explained my rationale for the personal light. He wanted to know why it's important and what makes it more than just a maker-y thing I decided to do. Our conversation made me decide that I should actually write this down and share it. Thanks Tony!

We live in a time and place where abundant artificial light is fundamental part of our daily lives. At work and at home, lights illuminate our surroundings, helping us see so we can get things done. Our current mode of lighting is powered through a complex grid that delivers electricity to our homes, feeding our light fixtures and power sockets. 

Electric light is the product of a long evolution in artificial light technology. Now over a century old, it comes to us after candles, oil lanterns, gas lighting, and arc lights. Throughout this evolution, our society has shifted and changed in response to each period of lighting. Each dominant mode of artificial light created a particular framework for the economy, social relationships, understandings of autonomy and control of one's surrounds, and the relationship to work and productivity.

Right now, electric lights provide the structure that we live within. As I mentioned before, our homes are connected to a grid, which is outside of our control (Hello Sandy!). Inside, the electrical wiring of our homes leads to thinking about light in a particular way - switches and ceiling lights. These overhead are generally found in most rooms and hallways and have 2 modes - on or off. 

What does this light do for us? It illuminates a room as we use it. When switched on, it's brightness allows and encourages us to see everything in the space, it nudges us to finish whatever task is at hand. When it's off, the room is no longer in a state to do anything (except perhaps sleeping). This is obvious to many, but if we think about light as an affordance - an indicator of the intended use of a space - these binary states speak to a limited understanding of how rooms in our homes can be used. The ceiling light says a room is to be used at a fixed level, or not at all.

This is an insensitive approach to our living spaces - human beings do not live in a binary fashion. Our homes shelter us whilst we are being productive, when we are relaxing,  while we sleep, and everything in between. I believe we can make our spaces more sympathetic, more sensitive to the human condition, by examining our relationship with light.

The 'personal light' project that I've been working on is the first embodiment of this line of thought. This light speaks to a number of issues I've been thinking about:

Autonomy. This light is for an individual. It is not fixed to a room or a grid. It is designed to create an intimate space that moves with you. 

Productivity. Unlike most lights, this one is not about being awake and working. It acknowledges the drowsy, dreamy state of mind of the night time.

History. I believe that we can look back to previous modes of lighting to find new ways to incorporate it into our lives. The inspiration for this light comes from a Gaston Bachelard quote about the candle (see below).

Awareness. I hope that this light helps to create an awareness of how lighting affects our state of mind. It can show people how jarring standard lights can be, and hopefully open the door to new ideas and questions around place of lighting in our homes.

“Because the candle, a company of the solitude, is above all a company of solitary work. The candle does not illuminate an empty room, it illuminates a book.” - Bachelard

[tashwong]

Thesis: Plan of attack

For the next 7 weeks I will continue to explore the interplay of light, intimacy and space. My plan is to create several iterations of a 'personal light', one that provides only enough light to move around a familiar space. The intention is to create a personal space with light, one that’s sympathetic to a sleepy mental state and/or enhances attention to other senses. 

My approach to creating the light will encompass a few areas:

Theoretical  The core of my interest right now is investigating what was lost in the transition to ubiquitous light. I see this as a rich space for interaction design. To understand this, I want to learn more about our relationship with light before the industrial age. Key texts: Brilliant, Disenchanted Night, The Flame of a Candle

Practical To build it, I'll need a solid understanding of electrical and physical computing fundamentals, as well as knowledge around LED lights and various sensors. Key texts: LED Lighting

User Research Once I've built a stable version of the light I'll share it with others to understand if/how it integrates in their day to day life.