Research/Study

Computation-Design

User Experience

Arduino

Branding

Exhibtion

Slight Change

2022

Slight
Change

Slight Change is an exploration into the relationship between the medium of lighting and its users. Looking into how the communication between a space and a person through a presence or a gesture can shape and discover other ways of possible interactions with the lights around them.

Through a series of artefacts that invites users to actively use, observe and react to how these artefacts respond to them. Slight Change seeks to highlight these interactions between human and technology, and understanding how meaning-giving and autonomy in interaction can allow people to be more connected and aware of how communication can bring about meaningful experiences.

Scroll more to understand the project! For a more detailed explainer of the project, check out the project site here:

Here

Overview

Artefacts

Experience

Diving Deeper

Experiencing a slight change:
Project Artefacts

A Light that Welcomes You

Highlighting the phenomenon of current motion sensored lightings activating when users are detected by sensors, as if welcoming users as they pass by, this artefact responds to people approaching with a big switch that is activated when the users tips it.

It is an exploration that taps onto the familiar active gesture of turning on a switch, allowing people to communicate with lights through a conscious gesture, giving back autonomy to its users unlike motion sensors.

This interaction also uses the flow of people walking into an inviting experience as the light pattern changes with their movements.

Inspired From:

This artefact was inspired by the usage of warmer lights at lift lobbies. As compared to the second image on the right, the lift lobby on the left gave a warm impression as if it welcomes back the residents.

Close up gallery of the work

A Light that Forms a Space

Highlighting common and odd phenomenon of people gathering around lamp posts and street lights, this artefact responds to the moments in time when users does more than just transiting pass lights, instead, decides to stay longer to use the lights. This could be for a conversation amongst themselves, urgent private calls or even just reflecting on their day.

The light is also designed with soothing meditative patterns to invite users to this comfortable space. As the user idles around for a while, the light acknowledges their presence and shapes the space around the user as well as providing a functional light for them to use.

Inspired From:

This artefact was inspired by odd observation where people like to gather around lamp posts, to spend some time under it, sometimes doing stretches or even holding light conversations.

Close up gallery of the work

Human & Light Interaction:
User Testing

In order to realise the ideas of the project to be possible interventions in its real-world context, the project artefacts were subjected to multiple user testings and were improved each time from the analysed response from the feedback it received. Through this method of making, iterating and feedback gathering the prototype can then be applied and communicate more effectively.

Experience Space
User Testing & Feedback

Exhibition 1

Exhibition 6

Exhibition 8

Exhibition 1

1/4

Slight Change Experience Space was held in Lasalle Campus from 13th - 14th April 2022, as a experiential space for the public to encounter and interact with the artefacts of the project. Through this space, visitors were able to learn, understand, interact and respond to these interventions. Additionally, user testing was conducted and valuable feedbacks were gathered from this Experience Space.

Find out more on the results for the user testing here:

Here

Understanding the process

The Phenomenon of Lights:
Understanding our current urban lighting conditions

Undertaking the research

As the project premise revolves around urban lighting and smart lighting, on-the-ground field research was conducted to take a first-hand look into the current situation of urban lights and smart lightings to understand our current urban lighting and smart lighting conditions on the streets and how users interact with these mediums on a daily basis.

Locations selected for research:

Heartlands (Sengkang & Hougang)
Shopping Districts (Orchard)
Smart Estates (Punggol Northshore)

And some of the criteria that were set were to look at the various aspects of lighting, such as its functions, qualities of light, is the light comfortable or too much and also taking note of how we behave and interact around our lights.