 Ramon Janssen, Senior Consultant product design for Lighting, Philips Design, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
The emergence of new technologies - especially LEDs - is causing a change in the lighting industry. In the past there were two very distinct product categories; lamps (which produce the light) and luminaires (the housings for the lamps).
These are now merging into one as the LEDs are integrated into the housings. LivingColors is a perfect example of this, DayWave is another.
For a lighting product designer like myself, this brings many opportunities. For a long time, lighting was a fairly conservative industry. Of course, new lamps and luminaires were developed, but the basic principle was always the same. That's not the case any more. For instance, solid-state light sources are much smaller than before, can last a lifetime and can consequently be seamlessly integrated into building-construction materials, furniture, cars, packaging, fabrics... the possibilities are virtually limitless. In the future I envisage working more closely with all kinds of different companies and expertises to explore what is feasible.
I am mainly involved in professional lighting, which includes shop, office, hospitality, industry and outdoor applications. In general, the focus in all these categories is on performance. That's very different from domestic lighting, where there is more emphasis on decoration than functionality. But what you also see is that lighting is becoming increasingly important in completely new areas, due to its ability to enhance people's experiences. It is already present in TVs, with Ambilight, the Wake-up Light, and even in the healthcare environment with Ambient Experience.
We can continue to distinguish ourselves in the market by focusing on the quality of light we offer. A lot of luminaire manufacturers are primarily concerned with the object itself; it's almost as if the light that is giving is a secondary consideration. We have an amazing amount of lighting expertise within the Philips organization, as well as a clear focus on the user and the interaction with the product. This allows us to develop propositions that are both decorative and purposefully designed.
The behavior of lighting is becoming an increasingly prominent issue. It’s no longer just about having light that is either on or off, you can also consider issues like how the light behaves in the transition between being off and on. Why not let it fade gently? Or animate it? And even once it's on it can be more dynamic in terms of intensity, color and 'warmth’, something that is already possible with DayWave. This in turn means that the interaction with the product becomes just as important as the product design. Plus, there are always new fields opening up.
Looking ahead, there is an ongoing challenge to increase the light output of LEDs, so they can be used in more high-intensity applications. Sustainability - and in particular improved efficiency - will continue to be an absolutely vital area, so much so that it is more or less implicit in everything we do.
|