Lighting Engine

Material: White paper stock

Objective: Design a lighting engine for assigned setting.

Assigned Setting: hanging out with friends in a living room.

On the day the project was introduced, Steve and Stacie reviewed elements we should consider when creating our lighting engine:

1. You must be able to read the form of the engine when the light is turned off (even when there’s no light, the engine is still there!)
2. Color temperature of the lights/paper
3. Use abstract forms for concrete ideas—don’t be too representational and literal
4. Light intensity—is it diffused across a large surface area, or is it a bright spotlight?

We also reviewed different types of lighting:

1. Navigation — makes sure you don’t trip while walking! ex: lighting in a hallway
2. Ambient — atmospheric: not meant to project light/a bright spotlight
3. Task—work lights: ex. desk light, dentist light, etc.
4. Decorative/Accent

Exploring light with Steve and Stacie.

Part 1: INSPIRATION

Light Examples on Campus

To get some inspiration for my lighting engine, I examined the lighting on our campus.

I found the hanging lights (shown above) in the dining areas around Resnik. They share similarities in their cylindrical form, which gives off a soft glow. The lights in the left image, however, are very dim at night, and the majority of the light during the day comes from the windows.

These lights I found in Resnik, the art store, and the postal office are very direct and strong and are used for emphasis. The lights in Resnik (left), highlight the ‘bar’ area, the lights in the art store (middle) emphasize the display of paper and cardboard along the wall, and the light in the postal office (right) helps customers see the envelopes better.

The lights shown above are Navigation lighting. They were all located along a path, hallway, or staircase. Many of the Navigation lights were attached to the side walls or hanging from the ceiling.

The fairy lights located next to the University Center and in my friends’ dorm are decorative, yet also provide a bright light source.

Below are other examples of lighting I photographed across campus.

Lighting Examples from Online

I also explored lighting I found online. I’m drawn to lighting engines that are natural and curved, with simple and minimalistic shapes. Because my light is located in the living room, my light should be decorative, yet also not the focal point of the room—I don’t want the “friends” to be staring at the light as they’re “hanging out in the living room.”

Many of the lighting engines I found also diffuse the light across a large surface area, almost as if the engine is glowing itself, creating a warm, soft, and welcoming light instead of one that is obnoxious and glaring.

All of the lights are also hanging from the ceiling—pendant lights, and are of a very large size, or multiples of one engine, suitable for an environment with multiple people.

Part 2: EXPLORATION

PLAYING WITH PAPER

After doing some preliminary research, I was ready to begin experimenting with different paper temperatures, textures, and thicknesses.

PRINTER PAPER | BLOTTING PAPER | CONSTRUCTION PAPER | CANSON DRAWING PAPER | TRACING PAPER | RICE PAPER

Printer Paper—warm, diffuses light, thin, easy to fold, cut, twist, and shape, but too flimsy to provide structural support/hold form.

Blotting Paper—warm, yellowish/orange tint, thick material that diffuses the light, difficult to fold, turn, and twist because of its thickness (creates wrinkles). Difficult to cut because of paper fibres. Very strong and holds form well.

Construction Paper—neutral, very thin but not as flimsy as printer paper. very easy to fold, cut, twist, and shape but may be too thin for structure.

Canson Drawing Paper—warm, grainy texture, medium thickness that’s thicker than printer paper but not as thick as blotting paper.

Tracing Paper—neutral, extremely thin and flimsy—easy to cut, twist, and shape, but very difficult to hold form without flopping or ‘wilting.’ Can be used to layer.

Rice Paper—neutral, extremely thin and flimsy (maybe even thinner than tracing paper), natural and fibrous texture. Because of how thin it is, I found rice paper to be difficult to cut because the thin edges and fibers kept getting caught on the blade. Easy to fold and twist and morph.

Experiment 1:

For my first experiment, I cut a piece of tabloid printer paper into a triangle (cut by its diagonal) and rolled it into a cone, playing around with layering and how it affects the tone and temperature of the light. I really like the crisp edges created by the layering, along with the different tones and gradients created by the light diffusing upward.

Experiment 2:

For this experiment I rolled the printer paper around the bulb into a cone. Similar to the first experiment, I like how the layers of overlapping paper look, however it’s still a little thin to properly diffuse the light of the bulb.

Experiment 3:

Using the Lazy Susan again, I decided to play around with folds. I cut a piece of tabloid printer paper into a triangle across the diagonal and then folded it into a zigzag shape. I didn’t really like the look of the straight and flat edges, and realized that I was more drawn to a more curved and natural shape.

After experimenting with printer paper, I realized that it had a lot colder temperature than the other paper stocks.

Experiment 4:

I took a sheet of my tracing paper and crumpled it, creating a speckled texture along the creases of the crumples that showed under the light. I then wrapped it around the bulb to create this… asymmetrical and lopsided flower shape..?

Experiment 5:

Using rice paper, I tried to play around with layering. Because the paper is so thin and flimsy, I wanted to see if I could build opacity through layering. This created an interesting pattern on the bottom, but because the paper is so thin, it didn’t balance well on the bulb. The paper did, however, diffuse the light very well, and the triangle almost looks like it is glowing itself. The temperature of the paper, however, was relatively cold.

MAKING SKETCH MODELS

After playing around with the temperatures, thicknesses, and textures of the papers, I wanted to attempt to create more interesting lighting forms.

Sketch Model 1:

With rice paper, I wanted to see how the paper and light would interact if I had two forms on top of the Lazy Susan, I curved the paper in an S-curve and taped them together. When on the bulb, the center form lit up, however the secondary form adjacent to it was dark. The light could barely diffuse through the paper to shine into the secondary cone. This was useful because it helped me realize that the light spreads out differently across forms and layers depending on its proximity to the bulb.

Sketch Model 2:

Peep Daniel in the first image!

For this model, I decided to just randomly cut curves into printer paper and see what I could create with the strips. I then twisted, curved, and taped the strips at different angles and folds to create this dynamic and intricate curly design. I really like the movement throughout the sketch model, and the layers of curves and strips create an interesting layering effect that creates different tones when the light is turned on. When the light is turned off, the model still retains its dynamic and energetic form.

Sketch Model 3:

For this experiment I cut a piece of printer paper into a square, and then a slit along each of the four corners. I then taped the slit together by overlapping the two sides, creating a soft curved surface. I enjoy the radial symmetry of this form, but it didn’t do much to cover the blinding bulb.

Sketch Model 4:

I then decided to create a sketch model at a much bigger scale. I took two sheets of tabloid printer paper and cut slits along the sides, similar to the method I used in Sketch Model 2. This made the paper curve upward into a bowl shape so that the bulb could be hidden from all angles. The layering of the paper created this strange pattern, however, when viewing the light from below. I also messed with methods to hang the light. Using matte board, I cut an armature to stretch and hold the light up. I cut the circle that was supposed to go around the socket a little too big though, so the sketch model drooped below the bulb instead of around it. Therefore, I had to use tape to tape the armature to the cord.

Sketch Model 5:

I enjoyed working with the soft texture of the rice paper, so I decided to make a bigger sketch model by taping squares of paper into a star shape. I only taped the sides together so the paper had the flexibility to move and flip and curve. I pulled the two bottom layers of squares into the opening in the center of the star, and pulled the two edges upwards like a taco. I really like how the result looks on the lateral sides, but the other two ends lack the same dimension and depth. The layering of the soft paper also creates differences in the opacity without being too harsh with straight lines and edges. The biggest issue with this sketch model was, however, that the bulb peeked through at multiple angles, especially along the bottom of the sketch model.

Sketch Model 6:

I used drawing paper for this sketch model because I wanted to replicate a light I saw online. I tried to make a top and a bottom shell, but I couldn’t figure out how to make the pieces fit, and the shells were too small to fit the bulb and socket in.

MAKING PROTOTYPES

Before I jumped into prototyping, I asked myself some questions to understand the necessary characteristics for my light.

Should my light be…

1. High or Low?
2. Big or Small (is it for multiple people?)?
3. Horizontal or Vertical?
4. Dim or Bright?
5. Warm or Cold Temperature?
6. Hanging or on a Tabletop?
7. Decorative or Sterile?

What words would you describe a Living Room Setting?

When imagining friends hanging out in a living room, I think back to what my friends and I would do when we chilled together. We would sit on the couch or the floor and gossip, chat, and eat. I can also imagine friends playing board games in the living room together, or sipping hot chocolate/having drinks in a circle. I then came up with a list of adjectives to guide the form of my light:

• Dynamic
• Campfire
• Welcoming
• Secure
• Warm
• Intimate
• Decorative but not Distracting
• Bright

I continued to research online for some inspiration, and found that I was very drawn to soft curves that provide a lot of movement:

Images from online research.

Prototype 1: The Paper Fan Light

Printer Paper

I taped together sheets of tabloid printer paper and folded it in a zigzag. I then twisted and turned and knotted the paper at the center to create the fan/flower shape. I used staples to hold the fans together, but I couldn’t figure out how to attach the fans to the bulb. I created a cylinder out of the printer paper and glued the fans onto it and slid the cylinder onto the bulb.

What I Like:

• The folds create dimension and an interesting texture.
• The light is big, dynamic, and decorative.
• Looks interesting in its off stage too.

What I Don’t Like:

• The multiple layers of paper was too heavy for the small cylinder in the middle, and so the fans kept drooping and the cylinder kept sliding off the bulb.
• The paper and the knot in the middle of the fans block the light from shining through—the light is covered and extremely dim. Only the big gaps/holes in the knots allow the bulb to shine through.
• I definitely need to figure out a better method for attaching the light onto the bulb than the cylinder because it doesn’t match with the form of the fans and lacks structural support.
• Feels like I simply stuck some decorative elements onto the bulb—doesn’t take the form of the bulb into consideration.

Prototype 2: The Seashell Light

Construction Paper and Blotting Paper

I enjoyed the texture of folded paper from my last prototype, but I thought that the straight line folds were very stiff and boring. I tried instead, to fold the paper along a curve. I then pulled the two ends together which popped the paper up in a shell shape.

I created two shells out of blotting paper, but I soon realized that this paper was too thick and rigid to fold and twist curves. The paper did, however, give the light a very warm and yellow tone.

After struggling with the blotting paper, I decided to use my construction paper. The thinness was much easier to work with, but it was also more prone to rips when manipulating the paper.

I created four shells: 2 with blotting paper and 2 with construction paper. I wondered if I could stick them together and create a ceiling light. I wasn’t sure how I wanted to glue the shells, and so I played around with multiple orientations:

I chose orientation 2 because the other orientations had a very large opening on the bottom for the bulb to shine through. However, this exact issue still occurred in my final prototype:

What I Like:

• The texture created by the folds. I could take what I learned in creating these folds into future prototypes.
• The repetition/pattern of the shells make the light radially symmetric.
• Light shines through evenly through all shells (if I made all four of them with the same type of paper)
• Visually interesting in its off stage.

What I Don’t Like:

• The huge hole on the bottom exposes the blinding light, along with the other holes along the sides.
• I also couldn’t figure out a way to attach it to the bulb, and so I resorted to tape.
• The light feels too open, as if it should have something on top of it—looks like a bowl and doesn’t feel very three dimensional.
• The form isn’t very attractive from the sides, the shells look like they were awkwardly glued together. The shape also kind of looks like a vagina…
• The form also feels very controlled and static—not much is going on.

Prototype 3: The Cloud Light

Tabloid Printer Paper

For this prototype I used the folding pattern again but with three sheets of taped tabloid paper. I then rolled it into a spiral to create this shell-like pendant light.

My peers said that the form reminded them of a cloud and shell.

What I Like:

• Good texture and layers that give visual interest in its off and on stage.
• I like the roundness of the form—allows light to spread across evenly

What I Don’t Like:

• Craft! The taped edges and staples are not very attractive… and ruin the smoothness of the texture.
• Are the crinkles and wrinkles in the folds intentional? No consistency in size or thickness—makes it look like a mistake. The paper is also very thin, creating the random kinks.
• Not symmetrical: The two sides look different—theres also only two sides; the other ends aren’t as visually interesting.
• Lightbulb is shown in the bottom hole: blinding!
• Make prototypes to scale: I want to make it bigger horizontally.

Prototype 4: The Shell Light

Railroad Paper

The railroad paper was a little difficult to fold and bend, however, it worked very well in holding the folds and doesn’t rip. Playing around again with the same folding pattern, I twisted and folded the sheet of paper into a shell-like shape (I first folded the paper horizontally by glueing the two ends of the arch, and then folded it vertically and sealed the ends). This created a beautiful pendant light, but I had many issues figuring how to hide the exposed bulb.

What I Like:

• Enjoy the smoothness and movement of the form.
• The lighting engine has a nice mass to it
• Differences in crinkles and folds (more dense near the shell base and then fans out) create satisfying gradient when under the light.
• Bulb can easily hang both ways (Angel Wing… or Shell?)
• Visually attractive in its off stage.

What I Don’t Like:

• Gaping hole on one side that looks like a vagina… the bulb must be covered!
• There are only two attractive sides to this engine; doesn’t support hanging out with a group of friends if only two friends can see the ‘good sides.’ The two ends are too blinding because of exposed bulb—too two dimensional.
• If hung like a pendant light, the bottom surface is quite boring… or it just looks like a vagina.
• Sculpture feels too directional—friends usually sit in a circle when hanging out. The shell seems to be pointing the viewer’s eyes in only one direction.

Peer Feedback:

My peer review was pretty positive—my classmates enjoyed the form, shape, texture, and size of my light. One of the biggest issues was that the light was too directional, which I agree with. I was also happy to see that the adjective they associated with my light was “intimate!”

Zoe Feedback:

I also spoke to Zoe about my light. She said that because of my light’s directionality, she’s unsure as to where to hang it (does it go in a corner?). She also said that I can think of the word ‘campfire’ or ‘fireplace’ when creating my light.

Things to Consider:

What is an appropriate scale?

How bright should the light be?

What is an appropriate temperature for the light?

How does POV affect the view of the light? How high does it hang? Is there a front/back/bottom/sides?

What does it look like off/on?

Where are the people in relation to the bulb? Can you see it?

Does the light encourage the activity?

Does the design appear intentional/accidental?

Is the paper stock appropriate?

What adjectives describe the prototypes?

How do adhesives affect the design?

Is the piece the focal point in context or a background element?

Does the design follow a pattern or appear arbitrary?

Do forms function as continuous/cohesive?

How do you support the fixture?

The list of questions was extremely overwhelming, so I decided that for my next prototypes, I would focus on creating a more symmetric design that would have a similar view no matter what perspective people viewed the light from.

Prototype 5: The Infinity Spiral

Stonehenge White

Stonehenge—thicker paper that holds folds well but is a little harder to manipulate. Warm temperature. If folded too much has tendency to rip/wrinkle.

I wanted to try an idea that had been sitting in my head for awhile: using the folding technique but in an S curve.

What I Like:

• Good symmetry so that everyone has the same view in the living room. Also diffuses the light evenly to all parts of living room
• Good size
• Beautiful swirl from below.
• Peers said it reminds them of infinity loop…or the number eight: draws you in.

What I Don’t Like:

• The biggest issue I had was trying to figure out how to hang the light. I decided to hot glue wire and simply wrap it around the cord. Although the light looks pretty from the bottom, from certain angles, you can see the dingy wire hanging from the socket. The bulb also isn’t completely covered at certain angles.
• The two big loops aren’t even… which can look like a mistake (which it was). This can also be applied to the wrinkles and imperfections in the folds.

A Talk with Stacie:

This week was one of the most stressful weeks of the semester, with projects and homework due everyday of the week. I was a literal walking zombie after getting about 2 hours of sleep each day, and the pressure of so many deadlines, expectations, and grades was really getting to me. I wasn’t satisfied with where my light was going, and after our class checkin with Stacie and Steve, I felt even more lost and stumped. I knew what I had to fix and what characteristics I wanted my light to have, but I didn’t know how to fix the issues, and I had no ideas for my light. The impending Tuesday deadline coming in only four days added to the panic and pressure I had been feeling the entire week. My brain was barely functioning from the sleep deprivation, and so went into a manic panicking mode because I was definitely not ready to launch into the weekend with the lights I already made.

I talked to Stacie, and here were her pointers:

• The light is a very beautiful veneer, but it’s too two dimensional. It also feels too open. The socket and lightbulb are very exposed. Maybe try and fold the curves vertically AND horizontally to create a three dimensional form with more MASS.
• Maybe try to extend the form sideways to allow for more manipulation of the paper.
• The infinity loop feels too controlled, what if one loop was bigger than the other?
• Consider using string to sew holes (especially ones that look like vaginas) closed!
• Get some sleep so you can properly evaluate and think about your lights!

Prototype 6: The Light that can also be a Shield

Iteration 1:

As I was experimenting with more shapes I can create with the folds, I laid one of my folded pieces on the Shell Prototype, creating this beautiful swirl. I wanted to try and recreate it.

I created each side of the swirls separately:

This was a fail, however, because the light had no mass to it and was extremely flat. After my talk with Stacie, I needed to focus more on creating mass with my lights instead of simply creating veneers.

Iteration 2:

I didn’t want to give up on the swirl design, and so I thought about creating a base structure for the swirl to wrap around to create that mass. Using a piece of very thin, clear acetate, I created a cone. I also used a piece of foam core shaped as a circle to help hang the fixture.

The cone was way too flimsy and thin to provide any structural support, and so the light from this iteration came out flat again. I had a lot of trouble trying to create the mass I wanted with the two wings of paper. It’s also extremely ugly from all angles…

Prototype 7: A Brief Intervention—Testing Yupo Paper

Deviating from trying to create my swirl, I bought some Yupo Paper and wanted to test it out.

Yupo Paper—feels like plastic. Extremely smooth surface and flexible. Diffuses the light very well. Very difficult to fold because of the plastic-y nature, and does not hold smaller folds at all (which I will learn later).

I created these forms out of the Yupo:

Now, back to the Swirl!

Iteration 3:

Using Yupo Paper, I wanted to explore creating one of the ‘wings’ that could go into my swirl. Unfortunately, because Yupo is so flexible and smooth, it didn’t hold the smaller folds at all, and looked like a flat piece of paper.

After trying to create my swirl with only two ‘wings,’ and trying to force the paper to bend and curve, I decided, why not use more than two wings?

Below are photos captured from my experimentation messing with three wings:

The form was still flat, however, and the shadows created from the overlaps weren’t very pleasing. I decided to add two additional wings in the center.

In my mind, the shape looked a lot better than what I created. I struggled for hours trying to figure out the orientations of the wings, how to overlap them, how to tape them, how to create mass, how big the wings should be, etc. Unfortunately, the end result looks like a bunch of scraps thrown together.

The light functions as a hat too (right).

One of my friends did say that the light reminded him of a whirlpool. I was really happy with that word association because whirlpools draw you in, and I wanted my light to draw friends into a circle.

Things to Consider:

There are so many pieces to the light that it can look extremely messy: is there a way to consolidate some of the pieces into one?

Can you eliminate some of the unpleasant shadows created by the overlapping?

Iteration 4:

I realized, why overlap the wings when I can just make one big swirl?

Rives BFK Watercolor Paper—Extremely warm temperature paper. Thick enough to hold folds well, but isn’t hard to manipulate.

Using the foam core circle again as a base, I cut a swirl design and wrapped it around into a swirled shape. Although this method kind of worked, I struggled a lot in trying to perfect the strip of paper I was swirling, it was also very difficult to attach the paper to the foam core. I also had difficulty trying to center the swirl and attach the edges without it looking messy and uneven.

It did, however, emit and diffuse a lot of warm, yet bright, light.

I then wondered, why swirl the paper when I can create mass and layers instead by stacking the circles into the tapered shape?

Iteration 5:

My idea was that I would stack three tapered cylinders to form a cone—each cylinder would be smaller than the one above it. I first experimented with creating the circles using printer paper.

Arches Hot Press Natural White Watercolor Paper—soft and very easy to manipulate and fold. Warm temperature that almost gives a mustard-y tint.

I then began experimenting with the circles, stacking them below the lightbulb, flipping them around, and also stacking them above the lightbulb.

As I was playing around with the circles, I realized that if I stacked the circles above the main circle, I could create an interesting gradient with the light radiating upwards from the edges of the circles. I decided to give this a try.

Iteration 6:

I liked the soft diffusion of light upwards through each cone, however, the edges of the circles were wonky and slanted. I knew I had to make them straight, or else it would look like an unintentional mistake. Another issue was the the seam that created an unpleasant triangle shadow. In my next iteration, I knew I had to tackle these issues.

Iteration 6.5:

Because I had been making all of my models to scale, I was running out of paper—and money—to continue experimenting with large-scaled models. To tackle the issue of the seam, I made smaller circles with paper scraps. My first idea was to simply glue the edge as close as I could get it without creating a shadow. This wasn’t going to work, however, because the folded texture along the circle made it extremely difficult to match the two edges of the seam perfectly.

My second idea was to create tabs, fold them back, then sew the edge. Although this idea worked pretty well in hiding the shadow, sewing through the layers of paper was structurally unstable, and it warped the shape of the circle to slant to an edge towards the tabs.

My third idea was to make the shadow seem intentional. I tested with my circles overlapping the edges at a slant to create a layered effect. My friend said that this looked a lot better than the straight seam. It also created an interesting layered effect that reminded me of flower petals or a staircase.

After experimenting with so many scaled models, my wrist was aching from continuously folding the paper and my wallet was crying because each experiment was about $6 worth of paper. I didn’t feel that ready to jump into my final, but the looming deadline in a few hours pressured me to begin.

A collection of all of my prototypes, explorations, and sketch models.

The Final Light

Reflection:

Although I’m not completely satisfied with how my lighting engine turned out, I’m also not completely unhappy with it. I believe that it supports hanging out in a living room with friends pretty well, especially the size, diffusion of light, temperature, and circular design. The depth created by the multiple layers of cones also creates visual interest, along with the folded texture of the bottom cone.

Nevertheless, I still feel like I am not completely finished with my final result. My light still has many issues—craft, the light looks different at certain angles, balancing issues, etc—that I want to continue working on. I already invested so much time, paper, and explorations, that I don’t think I can simply settle with a light that I am not entirely satisfied with.

Throughout this project, I felt rushed, frustrated, stumped, and hopeless multiple times. With so many deadlines and projects going on at the same time, I put too much pressure on myself to create the perfect light for the project deadline. This project made me realize that the projects we work on are only finished when you think they are—revising, refining, and editing is a continuous process that doesn’t simply stop at the deadline.