#DES100 Assignment 2
Design Brief
Design and prototype a lamp for a friend or family.
Target User
I am designing for my grandmother, Robyn Sims. She recently moved to Whangarei from Italy/France. I want to design for her because she recently moved into a new house, which she is in the process of self renovating and so is currently having to critically think about how she uses furniture and what light sources she needs etc. She used to live in Italy running a hotel/resort so has European influences on her tastes. Her husband was a furniture designer in the ’80s and 90’s so she is very design-conscious.
Design Statement
My client would like her current bedside wall mounted lamps replaced with more aesthetically pleasing and practical wall mounted lamps. She would like them to be practical for both reading at night and providing the room with atmosphere, accomplishable by the lamp being very adjustable, and having the ability to direct the light in any direction. She would like them to be touch-sensitive, both for turning on/off and for dimming. She would like a warm-toned LED bulb.
Visual Prototype
Specification Prototype
Design Strengths
I think the key strength of this design is its nostalgia for my client. This nostalgia combined with the warm LED bulb will most certainly bring warmth and comfort to my client. My decision to not use my client's preferred method of activating the lamp, by the lamp being touch-sensitive, and instead choosing to have a remote is also a strength, as it will increase the usability of the lamp greatly, whilst still having that simple touch factor, not a switch, etc. The material being ceramic is a key strength, as my client is not fond of ultra modern materials and design, so I think the ceramic gives the lamp a far more 'vintage' feeling, which aligns with her space and existing home decor. Using the Double Diamond Design Process was key to this design, as, during the discover phase (interviewing my client and brainstorming sketches), I was able to analyse my findings and use the define stage to decide to focus on creating a nostalgic design for my client, that fulfilled not only practical light needs but also her emotional needs.
Improvements needed
A key improvement that would greatly benefit the usability of this lamp would be the ability to individually move the 'petals'. This would allow for far more control over directing the light and the intensity of light in the room. I initially designed the lamp to have movable 'petals', but could not find any hardware online which would support the petals and allow for stationary positioning. To find something suitable for this, I will talk to someone knowledgeable with hardware, most likely a carpenter or woodworker. I also think that another improvement could be integrating a touch sensor on the base of the lamp, not necessarily for practical use but to add another level of nostalgia for my client. Adding a ball joint to where the base of the brass tube connects to the base would be a usability improvement, as it would increase my clients ability to control the direction and position of the light.