Prize(s) Winners in Desk Lamps, Floor Lamps
University Georgia Institute of Technology
Lead Designers Junzhe Yan
Other Credits Tutor: Prof. Stephen Chininis, with advices from Noah Posner, Tynan Purdy, and Tess Zhang
Completion Date Apr. 25, 2023
Project Location Atlanta, Georgia
Entry Descriptionl'accordion is the wall of light that sits on the desk. As its name suggests, the design works like an accordion of light. The user can push or pull the handles to change the physical span of the piece, and its brightness level changes accordingly. Whether working or relaxing, l'accordion always delivers the perfect glow.
The project starts with a reflection on the smart home scene. Using the smartphone to control devices brings convenience. However, wireless connectivity deprives user's sensual or ritualized comfort of physical interaction. Tapping the virtual OFF button on a touchscreen feels different from flipping the switch and calling it a night.
l'accordion aims at providing the adjustability of luminance found in smart lamps through a pleasing exaggeration of the physical interaction. The ideation revolves around translating changes in the physical form of the design to the light. Through a postmodernist approach, many concepts borrow from existing objects that change in dimension.
The final outcome consists of acrylic scissors, LED strips, an Arduino board, a slide potentiometer, Miura-structured mylar shades, and wooden linkage dowels and handles. When the user adjusts the span of the l'accordion, the potentiometer moves with the scissors, sending the resistance value to the board and changing the LED's brightness. The longer the span, the brighter the lamp.
