The Untold Value

The interface of a lighting system has the main goal for users to easily change the lighting to a certain preference. However in a multi-user environment the current (single-user) lighting interfaces are making these multiple users invisible to each other. All the users in this environment have a certain interest in their favorable lighting setting. In order to create social translucency the lighting interface in a multi-user environment should not only communicate the user’s lighting setting to the lighting system but also the grade of importance of this lighting setting to other users.

This project has been a research project to explore how a user’s interest in a lighting setting can be visually communicated to other users.

The results of my design research project have resulted in this interface proposal. Association of importance with “many” and “firm/solid” has been implemented in this proposal. In this design the user is able to have full control on their lighting color through the interaction with three turning knobs. ese three turning knobs are representing (from top-bottom): Brightness, Hue and Saturation. When the user has found its desired lighting setting and this setting is valued as impor- tant, the user can turn away one (or more) of these lightning knobs by simply disconnecting the little wooden beam on the front and guide it to “hide” the lighting knob. By doing this, the construction of the interface gets visually more solid and the amount of small beams are increasing. is will make it vis- ible to other users that the current lighting setting is being values as important. Because the small wooden beam needs to be placed back in order to be able to interact with the lighting system that will make users aware when they want to change a lighting setting that has been valued as important. And like the previ- ous interface proposal, the user of the lighting interface is accountable because he/she needs to act with a decorative item, not just his/her smartphone.