Connected Products
From quick cardboard sketches to a modular smart lamp made of wood and fabric, bringing atmosphere and safety to the living room.
The challenge
How do you design and build a smart, physical product for the living room, with sustainability and circular design (the R-ladder) at its core?
My role
The early prototypes, up to and including the lotus lamp, I made in a team. I designed and built the final product on my own: from concept to glue-free wood joints, designed parametrically in Fusion 360.
The approach
The design came together over a few rounds:
- Lo-fi: with cardboard, skewers and paper we tested how quickly we could put a shape together.
- Experimenting: in the second sprint we 3D printed a lotus flower in transparent PLA, and used the laser cutter to engrave patterns into recycled acrylic so the light reflects beautifully.
- Hi-fi (individual): for the final design I went for a mix of Japanese and Scandinavian minimalism.
The concept
A minimalist smart reading lamp made of sustainable plywood and a tablecloth from a thrift store. It contains no glue: I designed sliding joints in Fusion, so parts are easy to repair or recycle.
With the companion app you can dim the lamp, play music and set a burglar alarm that responds to sensors in the room.
What I learned
I mostly worked digitally. Here I learned to combine wood and fabric with digital tools like Fusion and the laser cutter, to make something you can hold, that is sustainable and that you can repair.