dapple
matt selnick
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industrial design studio 4 through research and exploration, identify an opportunity to create interesting lighting solutions while encouraging sustainable design practices.
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table of contents
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introduction brief
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research inspiration sustainability lighting Material Connexion NY Now gift show demographic
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design material exploration Innolight competition moving forward design with light competition prototyping construction
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final final model context renderings orthographics
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sustainability systems design mind mapping process tree moving forward sustainability materials eco-audit
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business pricing what’s next materials target production and processes business model target market benchmarking
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summary reflection sources
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introduction
Lighting finds its roots in nature. The recreation of the sun’s light has become an artistic and expressive part of design and our everyday lives, and with it, a large market and demand for creative solutions. Create an inspired lighting solution from an exploration of material and extensive research to accomodate a restaurant setting. Additionally, make environmentally conscious considerations towards a sustainable product and system.
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research
bright inspiration Lighting has the ability to do much more than allowing us to see. While outside of design it may seem like more of an artform than anything else, it also has a large impact on the environment it illuminates. Lighting installations have been found to heal, increase productivity, comfort the senses, encourage actions, among other impacts. After researching lighting installations and creative home lighting solutions, I felt inspired by the idea to integrate light and shadow into what would otherwise be a normal product. The profound ability that light and shadow have provide the opportunity for a product that brings more to an environment or atmosphere than a single function or use.
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PROVIDING OFF-GRID POWER FOR HEALTHIER AND MORE PROACTIVE LIVES
Problem
• 1.2 Billion people lack access to reliable electricity • Less than 20% of adults and less than 35% of children get recommended activity each year • Most power is generated in ways that harm the earth and our health
Solution
• Premium soccer ball and jumping rope with eco-friendly generators
• Creates an off-grid device for playing and powering many necessities • Promotes activity and spreads awareness of global energy problem • More rolling = more charging (3-LED lamp) • 1 hour of play = 3 hours of light
Sustainability
• Recyclable EVA foam • Recyclable plastic • Li-ion battery • Metal gears and motor • Zinc pendulum • Rubber
“Soccket”
Issues
• Working on poor product lifecycle • Working to upgrade manufacturing and testing
Impact
Gyroscopic mechanism captures the energy of motion and converts it into clean electricity
• For every purchase, a child in a developing country gets access to the product and their social intervention curriculum Matt Selnick - Design 4
sustainable play My research started off with learning about a company who employs sustainable practices. Uncharted Play is a company started in 2011 by Jessica O. Matthews that has a mission to “to buld a global collective invested in the power of play for social good.” They focus on energy-generating technology implemented into schoolyard toys, so far being a soccer ball and jump rope.
With this business model, they are able to work with non-profit organizations to distribute their product to areas where children don’t have access to energy and light, such as Africa and India. They haven’t had great success, however; many of their first production models placed in areas like Tanzania lasted days or months rather than the 3 year life-span projection that Uncharted Play stated.
With an effort to create a better Their target market is families with kids product and mass-produce it, they went and young adults in developed countries, to Kickstarter. What I learned from them where the idea of sustainable energy was how they kept attacking a sustainsources and personal health and activity able solution to work towards not only is a growing concern, but also becoming our health, but the world’s health as a popular leisure-time activity. These well. consumers can also afford the product, whereas those in areas without They planned to ship a more durable virtually unlimited electricity and light and sustainable updated version, as sources can’t. many as 50,000 across the globe in 2014. 13
Liter of Light Liter of light is an eco-friendly bottle light concept being introduced to communities living without electricity. This concept is based on the average water bottle, and brings implementation into communities much faster and easier than with a cheap product that will break easily. So far it has been introduced to over 28,000 homes and has spread from the Phillipines to countries such as India, Indonesia, and Switzerland.
One Million Lights One Million Lights is a company that works with non-profits such as World of Color to improve the daily lives of children and adults by providing clean and healthy lighting. They distribute safe, rechargeable solar lights around the world, replacing dangerous and polluting kerosene lamps.
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Anila Quayyam Agha Pakistani-American artist who uses light and cast shadow to transform rooms using geometric ornamentation and pattern.
I really enjoyed looking at how she manipulated an entire room perfectly, and how projecting panels all around can really transform a space.
Adam Frank Artist, designer and product inventor whose work is an ongoing investigation of light, interactivity and our perception of nature. After looking at his work, I felt that his representations of nature in such a simple manner were really inspiring. His use of a simple glow from diffused white material against the sharp contrast of the tree create a very humbling and interesting addition to a setting.
Ayala Serfaty Israeli furniture and lighting designer who is best known for her exploration of ancient materials and merging with contemporary design. What I really enjoyed about her work was how she explored surfaces and forms completely differently from other artists, and how she drew inspiration and emulated natural occurences like clouds in her own way. 15
Foscarini The “Twiggy� lamp, designed in 2006 by Marc Sadler for Foscarini, was an inspiration for me since it had such a
simple form and yet communicated a beautiful sense of playfulness and human interaction. I had the opportunity to see the different scales of this lamp in the Foscarini showroom, and loved how you could sway it and interact with it and with others. I felt that a simplistic approach with my projects would yield more interpretive and interesting results.
Bruce Munro As with many of the designers I researched, I loved Bruce Munro’s approach to representing nature and organic processes in the environment through his lighting installations. He is most known for immersive large-scale light-based installations inspired largely by his interest in shared human experience. 16
the coolest library During our research trip to New York, we had the opportunity to explore the Material Connexion library and investigate groundbreaking processes, materials, techniques, and technologies. It was really interesting to see some of the things that I had researched on their online database in the past, and to be able to feel and interact with them in person.
Two examples of fabric printing techniques, the left on nonwoven vinyl, the right on metal mesh.
Some of my main takeaways from getting to look through the collections were the different eco-friendly polymers, as well as really neat
processes that are being used with wood and veneers. There was also a lot of beautiful fabrics and printing techniques done with fabrics and meshes that were very interesting. I tried to take these revolutionary tangible nuggets of information and use them as inspiration to push the limits and usage of the materials that I would have access to for my projects.
A weather and UV resistant wood-plastic composite made from 60% HDPE and 40% cellulose fibers.
Wood veneers manufactured with a technique to inlay veneer within other 17 veneer.
NY NOW In order to gain more knowledge on sustainable design practices and companies, we attended the NY Now gift show at the Javits Center in February. We researched companies that labeled themselves as “sustainable,� and asked them questions about how they go about their business. In most cases, they did so through the materials they used for their products, or a more eco-friendly and culture-friendly business model.
The gift show is big; while we were only there for a few hours, and were able to see most of the different divisions of the show floor, it was still shocking how many companies were represented there. We first started by looking at companies that were not representing sustainable practices, and many of them were larger companies with larger amounts of products and booth investments than many of the other campanies. Throughout our walking, though, I was able to find a few companies that, although they were not labeling themselves as sustainable companies, were employing eco-friendly principles and had many designs that were consciously created with lifecycle and impact in mind.
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lighting showrooms One company specifically talked to us about their material choices for some tableware, mainly plates, that they were displaying. They chose a specific type of clay for the top part of the plate, which was very clean to source and had very little waste, but then was molded onto a plastic baseplate. For them, the structural integrity and ease of handling the product was more important than a completely eco-friendly material construction. While the plastic wasn’t the dirtiest and was still an attempt at more sustainable production, they made the argument that by using a dirtier material, but with that giving it the ability to last a lot longer and be stronger, it outweighed the environmental footprint, and felt like a better compromise rather than a cleaner product that was more fragile.
After the gift show, we were also about to tour a few of the lighting showrooms in Soho. These included the Foscarini Spazio showroom, Ingo Maurer’s lighting store, and the BlackBody showroom. Foscarini had a lot of interesting lamps and photography that showed off a lot of their lights, and had many different types of luminaires, from hanging, to interactive, to desktop, to wall art. At Ingo Maurer’s store, we got the opportunity to go downstairs and see many of the pieces on display, from pieces of his exposed bulb series to his lamps that question the identity and vision of light and products in the home. Finally, at BlackBody showroom, we got to learn about their innovation with modular O-LED technology, and their interactive instillations which were beautiful and brought a sense of nature and wonder into their forms. I really enjoyed seeing these pieces because they showed that such a simple bulb piece can be used to create so many inspiring lights.
a sustainable approach Camellia Fiber Company While we weren’t able to meet with this company at the gift show, their website gave us plenty of information regarding their processing of materials and how they do business. They sell a variety of mill-spun and hand-spun yarns, all ethically sourced and minimally processed. They also sell spinning wheels and hold workshops within the local community to create blankets and other items from their yarn. 20
What I found to be interesting about Camellia’s approach to sustainability had more to do with the style of processing rather than a purely eco-friendly material or diminishing waste and consumption. Too often we read sustainability as materialistic, rather than any changes within the system to benefit the environment and not wear it down. They are also part of Earthen Studio, a collaboration of studio space and environment between creative females who run their own practices and businesses. The studios all are woven together and help each other out with projects and setting things up, which paints a picture of a perfect relationship with the businesses around you. It isn’t too common for businesses to work together, especially when they have nothing in common, but to create a bond and friendship with the people around you is another type of sustainability that we often don’t consider.
Itinerant Studio I met this company at the gift show, and was completely amazed at their work, which consists of printing high quality photographs onto materials like glass, acrylic, plywood, and aluminum. They use the material as part of the image, and it produces a beautiful harmony between the art and its surface. They source everything locally, which is either sustainably created or recycled, and they re-use everything that they can, and produce very little waste.
Haptic Lab This company from Brooklyn, NY creates custom soft good pieces, mainly blankets, quilts, and kites, in an attempt to counter the rapid digitization of our modern lives. They approach sustainability by using renewable resources to create their products, and by doing custom orders, they tailor every commission to its desired request, creating pieces that are meant to be held onto for a long time.
Sea Stones After getting to see their booth in NY, it was clear how much they invested into a sustainable business model. They make handmade stone pieces for the home, spanning from drink holders, to tables, to sculptures. Each rock they take is replaced by another, and their hardwood is FSC supplied and replaced with 10 more trees planted. Based in New Hampshire, they utilize local resources to bring people and mother earth together in a sustainable way.
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demographic research After completely my research and being ready to jump into the design process, the last bit of research that I had to complete was about my intended setting for my luminaire. Because we were going to be tailoring our brief to two separate competitions, both of which were for restaurant settings, I looked into some specifications and requirements for lighting in this context. In most restaurants, it is common to have overhead lighting along the aisles and hallways, with more direct lamps over tables to create more intimate seating. It also creates more secluded and quieter areas within a public space, and immediately gives people the notion that privacy and noise level should be respected. David Weedmark of Demand Media states that, “In restaurants that use dim lighting at tables, the contrast between light can also be a factor in employee safety. The human eye takes time to adjust from a bright area like a kitchen to a dim area like the dining area.� Taking into account considerations for not only the customer, but also the waitering staff is crucial because they still need to be able to operate well and efficiently, and can’t be bothered with distractions or harsh lighting. Many considerations like size, illuminant, contrast, desirable distraction, distribution of light, and the time of day in use are important to any fixture in a restaurant (Phillips, 17). Incandescent and halogen lighting are used regularly, as they are inexpensive and can create a pleasant ambiance due to the warm color rendition they create. In conclusion, fluorescent lights, LED lights are more ideal lighting selection for restaurants. If needed, small amount of incandescent and halogen can be introduced to the project with proper balance and energy calculations done by design professionals. While lighting can add a beautiful and ethereal effect to a setting If architectural features are not illuminated properly, a viewer is not able to experience the designed space to the fullest. - Lou Michel
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Despite the natural integrity of lighting, we find ourselves with lighting solutions that significantly harm the environment in manufacturing and product lifecycle.
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design
material exploration
To start off my exploration, I looked around me to try to test as many materials as I could. This included wood veneer, coffee filters, wood shavings, pine needles, colored tissue paper, packaging tape, and many more. Through testing the effect that the different materials had when held up to a light bulb, I found that pine branches and needles had one of the more interesting effects. As soon as I held a branch up to the light, I was reminded of many memories of hiking in the woods, and seeing the light fall through the trees and dapple the forest floor.
This led me to the construction of my first light, which was made of an edison socket, spider ring, armature wire, hemp string, hot glue, and pine branches. I decided to test the same design twice; once with the natural green and brown color from the hemp and needles, and then again after painting it white. I painted it because I knew that since white reflects light well, it may produce a more interesting luminaire rather than just the shadow. I also found through my peers that it would look less like a christmas bush, and allow the form to show better.
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the dapple 1 I learned a lot from this exploration, especially with how light is diffused and how different colors are refracted once light is shining through and around them. For instance, I thought that painting my light white would make it appear brighter as well as give off the glow between the branches, but it actually stayed just as dark and and only allowed for a little bit more of the edges to be brighter. After painting it and displaying it at the critique, I definitely feel that the natural color of the first test was much more effective in producing the effect, and the green was more comforting and interesting rather than everything being a flat white. I found that the scale of the branches was a bit larger than I originally anticipated; I had not accounted for the thick main stem that the smaller branches would be coming off of, however to create the form wrapped around the metal that I did, it would have been much more difficult without the stem. This was dictated by what I could find in nature locally, whereas any integration into a further use of pine needles would open me up to different techniques of construction.
innolight Sustainable Luminaire and Lighting Design Competition 2016
moving forward from this exploration, I wanted to keep the integrity of the natural materials and effect, while refining the design to have more realistic construction techniques and so that it would not shed itself to death. Innolight, a lighting design competition between Philadelphia University, Aalto University in Finland, and the University of Oregon, is supported by international lighting manufacturers with an opportunity to further develop selected lighting designs. We were tasked with creating a lighting concept to provide a unique lighting situation for a spacial setting of our choosing. Our entries had to use an innovative use of light and shadow, use sustainable materials, and present a viable design to accomodate installation and setting requirements.
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inspiration With sustainable materials in mind, and a shadow effect to bring forward, I felt the need to step back and do some more research before I designed a realistic concept. I looked into hanging flower pots, plants in restaurants, living rooms, and public spaces. I also looked into patterns and castings using natural materials; rather than creating fake leaves or needles, and through gaining feedback from my peers and professors, I found it would be a better solution to create panels with the material cast into them.
making decisions My next set of concepts were more refined, and worked more with interaction and form. I had a few concepts that dealt with one large central light and smaller supporting lamps along the length of the table; I had seen a few of these in my research, and thought it would be a good solution rather than a larger light above. This however is dictacted to work only with longer event tables, and would take up too much real estate in the average restaurant. This brought me to my final design; with more research and simplifying, I brought together my inspiration, feedback, and material selection into a hanging lamp with a sustainable intent and simple assembly. 30
concept ideation I explored many forms and concepts; some hanging, others sitting on the table. I decided on the restaurant setting because of the common use of plants and natural aesthetics into restaurants, and the push towards more green and eco-friendly installations in them. I stepped back and tried to create an understanding of the atmosphere of the light, and what people would want to be around and what they wouldn’t. My first round of sketching had some concepts moving from the past exploration, and some that created different effects or just had a comforting glow. Through my research I found that a lot of restaurant lighting created a glow that illuminated most of the table or booth, which would produce a sense of intimacy and a small enjoyable environment within a larger public space. I felt that this was something that was integral to incorporate into the installation I would create; nobody wants a bunch of shadows all over their faces and food, no matter how interesting they may be from far away.
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Dapple is a sustainable hanging luminaire for a restaurant setting. In these spaces, soft, warm lighting is used to create a comfortable experience. Dapple will fit right in by bringing a natural and innovative addition of this lighting to booth, table, and bar seating.
Biopropylene 3form Ecoresin panels
Wood Veneer (Walnut)
3form Chroma panel
Inspired by a prior exploration with materials and effect, the cast needles and branches from pine trees produce a soft dappling effect on the walls and ceiling, reminiscent of light coming through the trees while walking through a forest. The consistent, diffused glow provides plenty of light to eat and enjoy the space without distracting or blinding the customers.
Varia Ecoresin
- 40% pre-consumer recycled content - GREENGUARD® Indoor Air Quality Certified
Chroma -
38% recycled content saturated with luminous color tremendous optical properties and high light qualifies for 3form Reclaim™ – keeping end-of-life material out of landfills
Biopropylene
- feedstock is sugar cane - reduces CO2 emissions from sugar cane processing - tough and flexible, can be injection molded
Wood Veneer
- responsibly sourced and renewable - minimal waste
PLA
- biodegradable thermoplastic - easily recyclable - durable
LEDs
- power efficient - long lasting - effective for strip lighting
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Power Cable
Light Diffuser/Casing (Biopropylene) 34
Upper Support Frame (PLA)
Central Support (PLA)
Support Cable
Cable Connector (PLA)
moving forward From the research and ideation that I went through with this exercise, I learned a lot about sustainable materials and choices, as well as what works and doesn’t work in a restaurant setting. Things like electrical and food-safe concerns can completely dictate whether your beautiful design is worth implementing. I originally had wanted to use real plants, but due to regulations and certifications that the light would have to pass, and the deterent from that which a restaurant would not want to deal with, as well as the upkeep, were reason enough to find a different solution. I was not satisfied with the projected design that I had created, and felt that it tried a bit too hard to transform the space rather than to accompany the aesthetic of the environment. After completing this competition, I wanted to move forward more realistically. We planned to move from this competition to the IES Design with Light competition, which would require a physical model. I used the Innolight competition to explore sustainable materials and a possible projected concept, but in no sense was it meant to be a easily or realistically manufactured product. In order to create a design that I would be able to create, and was more practical to produce, I used this past design to help guide me to more practical material choices as well as what I could source in my time frame, and to simplify the construction to what would better fit the pricing and setting of my intended demographic.
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DESIGN with LIGHT (DWL) is an annual student lighting design competition organized by the IES Philadelphia section. The competition goal is to raise awareness and understanding of the lighting design profession within the student community.
inspiration Just like the past competition, I first started by looking at what was currently out there; I searched restaurant and banquet lighting, lamps with plants, as well as designs that I am inspired by from Behance and design magazines.
a new brief light must: • • • •
be self-supporting (stand-alone on table) be battery operated not exceed 12” W x 12” L x 18” H be accompanied by an inspiration photo, taken with your own camera
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pages and pages I first jumped into ideating by approaching it with what I had from the last project. I felt that my direction was good, but it needed to be converted to sit on the table top, and had a few issues with its feasability that I wanted to address. I filled page after page with notes and sketches to iterate on the form and construction, until I narrowed it down to a final design. Ultimately I had to do some physical prototyping and testing with materials before I could completely finalize it, but from here I could begin to do just that.
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prototyping and construction When I began collecting materials and finalizing my design, I decided to test and prototype different things to get the effect that I wanted. I knew that whiter materials would reflect the light better, and diffuse it across their surface much better than that of a colored or opaque material. This brought me to white acrylic, and paired with different paper printouts I used, gave me to glow I was
looking for. I had been using printer paper and plotter paper, and ended up sticking with it because the ink was dark enough, and the thin paper allowed light through well. It also paired well with the acrylic, which softened the image. To construct the base, I created a CAD file and cut it on the CNC router. I ran into some issues with the part alighnment, and had to add material and sand down to get the right size.
I then cut the side panels and chiseled out the cavity for the light switch.The acrylic and polycarbonate panels were then laser cut and assembled, and the LED strips were attached and wired. Creating the frame was one of the trickier parts, and required precise cuts on the table saw and mitre saw. I then glued up the base and side panels, and sanded those down flush. Meanwhile I went to the Wissahickon and took more photos for my final panels. and tried
many different effects before using a panorama and converting it black and white. At this point I was able to assemble the polycarbonate panels inside with the final images that I plotted, and glue in the corner pieces. I then fit the lid and battery into the bottom, and placed the upper box into its slot on the base. I fit and wired the switch, wired the battery to the LEDs, and added supports for the lightbox to stay in place. After attaching the joinery of the frame to the acrylic box, all that was left to do was finish it and turn it on. 39
LED strips These provided the best illumination that would cover the height of my lamp, and could be easily applied in length. I used warm white 3-chip LEDs rated at 6600 lumens to provide a nice warm glow that would illuminate the panels.
paper While I originally tested with colored prints, black and white plotter paper provided a softer and more interpretive effect.
white acrylic This material provided the perfect diffusion of the LEDs and imagery, and was easily laser-cut to fit perfectly together without much necessary adhesive.
polycarbonate For the internal walls holding the paper in place, this clear sheet material was strong and did not interfere with the light.
AA battery box Using AA batteries to power my lamp was convenient and straight forward, with a low-profile housing and easy wiring.
rocker switch I chose to use a rocker switch because of the satisfaction of its solid position change, as well as its rectalinear form which matched the form of my lamp. I also considered toggle switches. 40
white acrylic
electric wire
20”
36” solder
30.5”
6”
polycarbonate
LED strips
11.75”
30.5”
140”
paper
switch
12”
battery box
2.8”
5” 32”
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cherry hardwood I used this domestic wood because of its light yet rich color once finished, and workability with different types of machinery. It also does not tend to move much after milling, and relates back to my effect by enclosing the panels like a picture frame.
shellac and boiled linseed oil This finish when applied to the two types of cherry I used produced a rich and brighter coloration in the wood, as well as a great contrast to the white acrylic panels, when both on and off.
CNC milled base
4.00
7.50 5.25
While the other parts of my luminaire were crafted by hand, I chose to utilize the precision of the CNC machine to carve out the cavity for the battery pack from my cherry hardwood piece. I also created a lip for the lid to be inset into the surface. The hole on the side was placed for the battery pack wiring to come through to the switch and lightbox.
3.13
4.00 3.13
5.25 .25
1.50
1.17
.08
7.50
wiring routing hole
7.50
1.50
base 42
8.25 .38 R.05
1.00
1.00
.38
7.50
side frame .63
.63
.63
.63 .63
.63
1.00
feet
6.44
7.50
6.45
side top frame
front top frame 43
final
final
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8.25
C
6.50
11.125 14.75
11.75
2.00 1.00 C
SECTION C-C
.625
4.00 1.125
5.25
.375
1.75 50
7.50
LED strips
top view
inside front view
switch
battery pack
LED strips
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sustainability
systems design In order to find and develop innovation within an existing system, it helps to map out opportunities and problems. By researching and understanding weak points, it becomes easier to introduce new ways of integrating sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Systems design also means to take everything into consideration that is involved in the process of creating something from start to finish; initial ideation at a firm or company, to manufacturing, to packaging and shipping, to consumption, to end of life. For a given product, the opportunity cost of any innovation may be outweighed by another part of the system; it may not be worth it to use a more eco-friendly material if it costs more to source, and pollutes the air more because of transportation. Many decisions that impact the system are made based on pricing and production levels. This is why there are very few mass-produced products that have a small footprint, while many small-run, kickstarted, or local products and stores are able to be more sustainable, because they do not have to worry about economies of scale. The triple bottom line, which accounts for the framework of social responsibility, environmental protection, and economic success, needs to be taken into consideration, and by using it as a basis to start making decisions, it can help to create a more feasible and sustainable product.
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While there are many ways to present systems design, one of the most effective ways is by creating a mind map. Mind-mapping is the culmination of every thought and extension revolving around a specific product, idea, or thought. It encompasses everything and its branches that derive from that topic. What this does is that it puts everything in front of you and helps you make connections to find innovations and efficiencies from what you already have. This can be infinitely helpful at any point in the design process, and helped me approach sustainability with impact and my research from companies in mind. Another insightful form of systems design is a process tree. Different from a mind-map, a process tree outlines what it takes to get from raw material to assembly of a product, including every step and process. This helps to show how much goes into bringing a product to life, and how many points along the way there are for waste to be produced, and issues to occur. The end goal is to find opportunities to be more sustainable, and the following visuals display my process for analyzing my environmental impact and finding opportunities for improvement.
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type
form
task
ambient
overhead
spot
accent
table
strip
supporting
hanging
final model floor desktop
white acrylic
LEDs
ABS
wood glue
solder
polycarbonate
sandpaper
wire
paper
polycarbonate
cherry hardwood
ideation
processes
concepts
CNC machining
printer
rethinking
woodshop
plotter
context analysis
laser cutter
hand tools
cut sheet
photography
rendering
opportunity
3D modeling
revisiting brief
construction
design for disassembly
central
who
where
limitations
guests
restaurant
12x12x18
inspiration
public
home
battery
self-sustainable
individual
lobby
effect
crafted model
banquet
intent
use nature illuminate inspire
produce effect
have fun
relate
empathy
connect
brief
dapple
inspiration nature
light through trees
trees
hiking
wissahickon
intimacy
personal connection
material exploration resin casting acrylic rod acetate film pine branches and needles trace paper sticks wood shavings
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wood veneer
design research lighting existing installations
size
human interaction
effect
materials
wiring
construction
purpose
battery
bulbs
plug-in
fluorescent incandescent
opacity
halogen
warm
CFL
cool
LEDs
luminosity
diffusion
demographic current styles
user experience
popular materials
value
sustainability environmental impact recyclability
composition
design process sketching
research
notes
decision-making
mistakes
feedback
power-moves
creative solutions
competitions
manufacturing
environmental footprint
design with light competition
realistic production
biodegradeable
innolight competition
sunk cost
system design
eco-audit
materials pricing
programs KeyShot
EduPack
target processes
SolidWorks
Illustrator
product lifecycle
Photoshop
Sketchbook Pro
recycle
waste
moving forward
market
sustainability
benchmarking
value
similarities
demand
price
online sources
material
materials
environment
process tree
clean energy
balancing impact
tolerance
strength
thickness
memory
opacity
capable processes
eco-audit
NY NOW Haptic Lab
Itinerant Studio
Sea Stones
Camellia Fiber Company
Lovewild Design
Mexa
Material Connexion material library
database
specifications
online
sampling
NYC
57 original drawing by erica blair
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current materials While I used the materials that I chose for this model, the intention moving forward and at a large scale would dictate a change in materials and the sourcing of them. I chose 1/8� acrylic for it’s ability to softly diffuse light evenly, and it’s relative strength. The polycarbonate interior frame worked because it is a clear material, and is inherently stronger than acrylic, which helped with keeping the square shape and the box joinery in place. The cherry hardwood is still a material I would want to move forward with, because it adds a purely natural component and is not unrealistic for small-scale manufacturing. The way that it is used, however, would be changed to save on material, better the construction, and be able to be disassembled better. Other materials, such as the paper, batteries, and LED strips would be fine to use for a sustainable solution, because they can be sourced in bulk, although the next iteration would not be battery powered, but rather plug into a wall.
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a measure of impact After mapping out the processes and materials it took to make my lamp, as well as understanding the materials that I chose, I felt it was necessary to break down the environmental impact that is created from making one of my lamps. In order to get a statistic understanding of that, I used Granta’s CES EduPack program to perform an eco-audit. The graph below shows a relationship between the different stages of the lifecycle of my lamp, from material sourcing to end-of-life, with respect to the energy that they consume. The “use” stage needs by far the most energy, while some of the other stages such as transportation and material sourcing require much less. This is because compared to the lifespan of the product, the energy used to create them is very small. This graph also shows the end-of-life potential of the product, meaning that by being able to recycle or downcycle parts of the light, instead of having to dispose of everything, it works to offset some of the energy and pollution that is used to create it.
energy use
CO2 footprint
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material analysis
understanding the data After completing the eco-audit and collecting the data from it, I was able to get a total undersanding of the energy used from the lifespan of my lamp. Since each product I used to make it was virgin, meaning it did not come from any source other than the original manufacturing processes from the material creation, the impact of the materials were more than they would be if I was able to source reclaimed or recycled materials to use. From this I am also able to see the hierarchy of what has the most impact on the system, and where my opportunities lie in terms of making more sustainable decisions moving forward.
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business
dapple pricing
pricing for one prototype
pricing for multiples
fixed costs
fixed costs
hourly rate: $25.00
hourly rate: $25.00
variable costs solder wire screws shellac linseed oil wood glue switch batteries sandpaper battery pack paper polycarbonate CNC machining acrylic cherry hardwood LED strips
(material costs ($) / unit) .05 .25 .35 .50 .50 1.00 3.00 3.00 5.00 6.00 12.00 14.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 78.25
total material cost for one unit = $136.90
time/labor for prototype R+D research and development for one unit = 540 hours total hours of R+D x fixed cost hourly rate = cost of time/labor for one unit time / labor for one unit: 540 hours x $25.00 = $13,500
variable costs if done in-house material costs
(with bulk discount)
50 units
10% cost reduction
$123.21
100 units
15% cost reduction
$116.37
500 units
20% cost reduction
$109.52
1000 units
25% cost reduction
$102.68
10,000 units
35% cost reduction
$88.99
time/labor if done in-house hours to build one unit at scale of: 50 units
15 hours x $25.00/hr = $375.00
100 units
10 hours x $25.00/hr = $250.00
250 units
7 hours x $25.00/hr = $175.00
1000 units
5 hours x $25.00/hr = $125.00
10,000 units
4 hours x $25.00/hr = $100.00
unit price/multiples if done in-house unit scale (material price) + (hourly rate x scale) + (R+D hours/scale)
total unit cost
50 units
$123.21 + $375.00 + ($13,500/50) = $768.21
100 units
$116.37 + $250.00 + ($13,500/100) = $501.37
(total material cost of one unit) + (time / labor of one unit)
250 units
prototype cost = $13,636.90
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$109.52 + $175.00 + ($13,500/250) = $338.52
$241.18
1000 units
$102.68 + $125.00 + ($13,500/1,000) =
10,000 units
$88.99 + $100.00 + ($13,500/10,000) = $190.34
what’s next Now that I had mapped out my costs and unit pricing, and had a quantifiable list of my materials, I decided to look into ways of reducing the cost to produce, as well as materials that I could replace to simplify the construction and lower my impact on the environment. First I took a look at what was realistic with what I had, and created a list of the materials that were less sustainable and could be replaced with cheaper or better materials.
plexiglass This material is cheaper than polycarbonate, can be laser-cut, and requires less processing to make. It also offers enough strength for this application, and would reduce costs and footprint in manufacturing.
power cord / rechargeable in order to reduce the need to use batteries and to conserve on necessary electricity, I would remove the battery pack and instead power the lamp through a wall outlet or rechargeable battery.
no adhesives While my prototype was constructed with wood glue and the adhesive backing on the LED strips, I would design this lamp to be joined without glue. Designing for disassembly and repair is beneficial to the lifespan of the product, as well as it’s sustainable impact before and after it’s use.
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sustainable materials After completing the eco-audit and analyzing the impact that my current prototype had, I went back to researching solutions for materials that would lessen my environmental footprint. When I had initially looked into sustainable materials for the Innolight competition, I looked at 3-form’s “varia eco-resin,” which is a sustainable resin that casts natural materials in it to produce interesting effects. They provide a large variety of eco-friendly resin panel options, and upon further research, they also provide custom imagery to be printed onto them. It cuts easily, can diffuse the light as well as acrylic, and can be made to many different thicknesses. Moving forward, I would explore this option at my scale, and re-design the structure surrounding the panels to accomodate this material. Not only would it decrease the parts and materials that would create my lamp, but it would also decrease my footprint and make the construction of the light easier. Using this material would eliminate the acrylic panel box and all of the polycarbonate I would be using. 70
Varia Ecoresin - 40% pre-consumer recycled content - GREENGUARD® Air Quality Certified - easy to clean - 40 times the impact strength of glass
target production and processes For the prototype I created, I used many different types of machinery and processes to make the pieces in an accurate and expedited way. If I was to begin to create batches of a production model, with more finalized materials, design and construction, I would use many of the same machines, but make adjustments to the files and to set them up for multiple parts being cut at once. For the cutting of the hardwood pieces, the CNC machine would produce perfect cuts that would need little post-processing, and many could be cut in one setup. For any other flat material I would use, a laser cutter (which I used for cutting the acrylic) would provide the same precision and speed as the CNC machine. Besides milling the wood, sourcing materials, and a little bit of work with tools and assembly, the process to produce a lamp could be expedited and simplified significantly.
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business model canvas Business Model Canvas Key Partners
Key Activities
Value Propositions
Customer Relationships
Customer Segments
distributors
manufacturing
interesting lighting effect
interaction with product
small families
restaurant chains
transportation
quality of material
indirect relationship to company
higher-end restaurants
local suppliers
distribution
addition to environment
interaction between each other
interior design showrooms
factories
meeting with clients
sustainable design practices
social experiences
banquet halls
installation
topic of conversation comforting, soft lighting
Key Resources
Channels
finance
air freight
physical assets
14-ton truck
machinery
US mail services
people, customer lists
local stores
materials
online retail services (Amazon)
workspace
delivery trucks personal transportation
Cost Structure
Revenue Streams
bulk discounts
economies of scale
leasing of product to restaurant
initial inventment / loans
larger production runs
wholesale
fixed costs
new capital
direct-to-consumer sale
variable costs
hiring employees
repair services
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
: Strategyzer AG The makers of Business Model Generation and Strategyzer
business model In order to get a better sense of the business model that I would need to create for the production and sale of my lamp, I mapped out a business model canvas. This is an effective way of understanding the system of values, key aspects, and flows of supply and demand, all relative to your product or company. From this, I was able to identify many of the propositions of value that my lamp could bring to a consumer or restaurant. It also helps to identify different target markets and where opportunity in the market and your system can be.
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target market and scenarios In the process of finding material distributors and sources, and in refining my product design and production, I believe I could bring the price point for materials from $102.68 per unit (at current cost for a production run of 1000 units) to around $7580.00. This is because my pricing is based off of the materials I bought from hardware stores and off of other people for more than I would pay in actual production, and I could source cheaper options for materials such as the hardwood (could be made from reclaimed wood or cheaper hardwoods) and LEDs. With only a comparitively small amount of R+D required to bring the product to be ready for production, I could eliminate a large amount of cost in my own hours, and only have to factor in the hours to physically produce the units. However, profit and the sunk cost for physical capital must be factored in, so the price would need to increase to accomodate newer costs.
less material
tooling costs
saving time
more hands
friendlier product
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benchmarking Since I would plan on making these in-house with only one or two employees, a realistic estimate of the number of these I would make would be around 1000-1500 per year. With all of this in mind, I would intend for my lamp to compete in the $200-250 range selling direct-to-consumer, and in the $120-150 range in wholesale. This price provides a realistic wholesale price, as well as accomodates a healthy profit margin if I was to sell to the consumer. From my market research, I found that selling at this price would be the best option for my production size, and allow me to gain enough capital from profit to grow in the future. From my market research, most restaurants are willing to spend significant amounts of money in their furnishings and lighting, putting my light in a realistic position in the market and providing a worthwhile investment to restaurants, consumers, and wholesale distributors. Many of the lamps that I found in this range were made of quality materials, but lacked any lighting effect beyond a normal illumination, and few deviated from a very standard lampshade construction.
$197.00
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$197.75
$223.00
$200.00 $250.00
$249.00
$259.99
$365.00
Baxton Studio Esquina Wood And Fabric Lamp
Robert Abbey Table Lamp
Meyda Tiffany Nightfall Wisteria Table Lamp
Marset Follow Me Lamp
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summary
reflection Through the process of exploring materials, diving into sustainable research and design, and the design process through three iterations of a design, I feel that I learned a lot from this semester. Overall, coming into the projects with no experience with wiring or lighting, I now have a solid understanding of the production and creation of lighting products and creating visual effects with light. I also learned a lot about materials, and pushed myself to design with nature and sustainability in mind, through inspiration, materials, and designing for manufacturing and it’s lifecycle.
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sources designer lighting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingo_Maurer http://www.ricegallery.org/anila-agha/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olafur_Eliasson http://www.adamfrank.com/ http://www.cristinagrajalesinc.com/exhibitions/ayala-serfaty http://jessshaw.com/cloud.html thomas katsikas: elma lamp: https://www.behance.net/gallery/36206679/Elma-Lamp
ny now http://camelliafibercompany.com/ http://blog.madesmith.com/meet-your-supplier-rebekka-seale-of-camellia-fiber-company/#. Vx4o9pMrJDU http://www.hapticlab.com/ http://www.itinerantstudio.com/
sustainable lighting http://literoflight.org/about-us/ http://www.tinyspark.org/podcasts/soccket/ http://onemillionlights.org/blog/2010/10/04/mission/ http://unchartedplay.com/
materials https://www.superbrightleds.com/ http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Shellac_and_Linseed_Oil_Finishes.html https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/led-strip-lights-standard-lengths/?view=standard http://www.ethanolrfa.org/how-ethanol-is-made/ http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Acrylic-Plastic.html https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Education-Resources/Plastics-101/How-Plastics-Are-Made.html http://www.britannica.com/science/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene-copolymer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire http://gizmodo.com/the-incredible-fiery-process-of-making-copper-wire-1559282588 http://www.explainthatstuff.com/rubber.html http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Battery.html http://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/electrical_electronic_components/switches/rocker_switches https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A http://www.britannica.com/science/polycarbonate http://www.ptonline.com/articles/sustainable-injection-molding-amcor-looks-at-the-big-picture https://www.protolabs.com/resources/materials/molding-materials http://blog.freedompaper.com/inkjet-media/choose-eco-friendly-bond-plotter-paper/ http://www.3-form.com/materials/varia_ecoresin/
regulations http://work.chron.com/osha-restaurant-lighting-levels-30487.html#page3 http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2435&context=etd http://www.projectsatoz.com/info-library/restaurant-interior-design-info-library/restaurant-design-tips-code-compliant-lighting-design.html Phillips, Derek. Lighting in Architectural Design. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1964. Print.
showrooms http://www.blackbody-oled.com/ http://www.foscarini.com/us/ https://www.ingo-maurer.com/en/info/showrooms/new-york
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matt selnick 80
design 4 spring 2016