I.D. Araceli De Anda González
Transtechnology Research
Room B312 Portland Square
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth PL4 8AA
E-mail: araceli.deandagonzalez@plymouth.ac.uk
ara_746@yahoo.com.mx
Skype: ara0704
Araceli De Anda González is studying an MA in Industrial Design, in the Faculty of Arquitecture in the UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) Mexico City. At the same time she is developing an exchange in the Transtechnology Research of the University of Plymouth, in Devon UK, to collaborate in the Transtechnology Research Seminar Series 2012/2013 and in the development of the own research project through the feedback between the discussions in the seminars and the new finding of the research project. This exchange is developed with the support of a scholarship through the Posgrado UNAM and the CONACYT (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología) a Mexican institution interesting in the promotion of the scientific and technological development (Mexico City).
Araceli De Anda is an Industrial designer; the area of interest is the light and design and she abord that by the experimentation with the new lighting technologies controlled by different technologies of interaction and programing the light into objects. It would be a recent area of researching, that integrate different knowledge and disciplines in the technological, sciences and art areas, in relationship with the light, design, implications of the light in humans, interaction design, for mention ones.
She has worked the last five years in Iluminación Viviente, a Mexican company created in 2007 that is focussed on the integration of light and design. The company is interested in the development of new lighting technologies and their applications, and is composed of three areas; the first one is a focus on the promotion and distribution of new lighting technologies, the second area is a focus on the support and consulting, about the function and the application of the new lighting technologies, and the third area is a focus on the researching and creation of new objects by the integration of light and design. Of central importance is the integration of Knowledge and multiple disciplines through new creative ways to work and resolve these kinds of products, lighting objects.
RESEARCH PROJECT
Lighting objects and theirs implications on human Experience
The integration of emergent lighting
technologies and control elements
into objects of everyday use
Introduction
New applications and trends regarding the production of lighting objects in recent years are transforming the concept of lighting design, particularly through the increase of novel applications of lighting, lamps and luminaries, control technologies and environments. Such developments are demanding a new sensitivity to the way that the human user interacts with the artificial lighting object within everyday sitations, which demand new conceptualizations of the design and light, as well as the account of user interaction.
As recent research has shown, the experiential and biological effect of light on human users has become an important factor in the studying of lighting. In particular, the static and current levels of artificial light play a key role in the deregulation of the biological and experiential processes of the users, especially in places where users are exposed to artificial light for longer periods of time. (PHILIPS, Dynamic Light)
This research project aims to analyze the phenomenon of the ‘lighting objects’ and the phenomena around it, through asking; what is the concept of the lighting object. What are the factors that motivate the design of that kind of products? What kind of knowledge is needed to design a lighting object? What are the interactions between human users and the lighting objects? And what are the implications of those interactions at the biological and experiential level?
On one hand the concept of ‘lighting objects’ is analyzing through the classification of the existing applications, this classification is realized through asking the question; what are the roles that light plays within the functionality of the object? On other hand the factors that motivate the designing of the lighting objects are researched by a historical review of the evolution of the objects within given contexts, (time and space).
This research aims to identify the wider landscape of Knowledge and disciplines that are involved in the design of the lighting objects, which play a fundamental role in the design process. Drawing from the technological domains of the emerging new lighting technologies and new control technologies; from the experiential domains, such as the impact of the light within human interaction and critically investigating the design process to fully account for the other disciplines. The research aims to support the design based project in a transdisciplinary way, providing a framework of knowledge drawn from multiple disciplines for critical analysis of the design process.
A key contribution of the research is to more fully understand the impacts that these emerging lighting objects have upon the experience of the human user through an extended analysis of their interactions.
Keywords
Lighting objects, emergent lighting technologies, control elements for interaction with light, interface, effects of light, and interactions between human and lighting objects.
Background
- Concept and classification of the lighting objects
The concept of the ‘lighting objects’, takes as a central element the role that play the light into the object, the function of the light in relation with the function of the object. The objects that give artificial light into a space are called fixtures (devices for the control and direction of light emitted by a light source, a lamp), the lighting object are objects with different functions and meanings implicit that integrate the light to generate a different interaction between the humans, e.g. a table with light.
- Historical factors of the lighting objects
The factors that motivate the design of the lighting objects can be found by a historical review of the evolution of these objects. An industrial object is affected by many different aspects, for example; the context, the culture, the social, the political and the economic aspects, human desires, needs and creativity, all are in constant interactions and the results of those interactions are reflected in the technology, science and art, the objects are the reflective of the culture. Now a days the concepts of mobile lifestyle, human experience, miniaturization, a new generation of products inmaterial and intangible, news ideas by conceptual products, more interesting things, multifuntionality, displays and interface, connecting, website, for mention ones. The question here is How the anterior concepts affects the objects?
- Components and Knowledge to design the lighting objects (light, lighting technologies, control technologies, interface)
How to design the lighting objects? This leads to try to identify and understand the skills and disciplines involved in this process and understand the process itself, in the first instance identifying the issues and knowledge required to build the lighting objects to name a few, design, the study of the implications of light in humans, meaning of light, emergent lighting technologies and control elements for interaction with light (electric and electronic components), cognitive processes and perception of human beings, among others. The development process of the lighting objects is perceived as complex due to the need to integrate knowledge concerning various disciplines, leading work to develop inter, multi-and transdisciplinary.
- Relation between the lighting objects and humans (interactions and implications) (impact of the light upon human interaction, interaction design)
The study of daylight is very important to understanding the implications between humans and light, in various fields, biological, psychological, cultural, emotional, and social, among others. Also is necessary to know about the light from their technical definitions to the meaning assigned by humans, the symbolic part. These closely related to the way that humans perceived and interpreted the light, through the senses and the cognitive processes. But this research project, not only focus in those implications, the objective is the implications between the lighting object and the humans.
Discussion
The research project aims to present important domains of knowledge for the study and design of new applications of lighting objects, integration of emergent lighting technologies in fabrics, clothing, accessories, jewelry, and furniture, among many and is necessary to understand the complete phenomenon. To thereby be able to define and guide the development of these projects through the studies and related knowledge to achieve the desired objectives and not fall into disappointments or failed projects , devoid of meaning and implications contrary to those raised initially by the lighting objects.