Pre- Development research
After establishing what kind of designs will be in my major project, I wanted to look at some existing products in order to get some inspiration.
I think that creating 5 blog posts, 1 for each era, would be long and unnecessary. Therefore, this blog will combine random pieces of research that may help inspire my project.
PALEOLITHIC
In this era, I decided that I wanted to use a night bedside lamp inspired by statues. Therefore, I decided to look into a similar concept for existing products. I already looked into human figure lamps, however, I want this research to target exactly the same concept with mine:
This design really stood out to me when I was browsing for research examples. They use an old element, such as a statue, and combine it with a bubblegum to make it more fun and modern. I think overall this lamp is very visually pleasing and I would definitely add it to my room.
I can try this out in my initial ideas to see if it looks good in my own designs. I could look at different faces and how I can combine them with modern elements to make them stand out.
Unlike the previous design, this is an exact replica. This is the method I applied in my initial ideas. I tried to take a fixed shape from the era and the replicate it to be exactly the same, and then incorporate the light somewhere in the design.
I do like the outcome of this lamp, however, I do not consider it innovative. I think that replicating the exact statue and then incorporating light is a good starting point, but I like seeing more development and personal/ unique touches. Regardless, I still think that this is a clever way to add the light in the design.
Words cannot express how amazed I was when I saw this lamp. I think it is truly unique and something I have never seen before.
As mentioned in previous research, I really like the thought of cracks or dents in designs. In this design, they add cracks and then utilise them to emit the light from them. The statue is also sitting in a very powerful position which may promote the light and power within people. I think this is an outstanding piece of work and I can definitely try to use this approach in my development stage.
As this will be a night bedside lamp, I think that it should not emit a lot of light as the purpose of it is to primarily make the person relax and sleep. This method is a perfect way to emit some amount of light, without making it too bright.
After looking at some examples from the Paleolithic era, I wanted to move on to the Mesolithic. For my mesolithic lamp, I decided to incorporate a wooden/ agricultural element in my floor lamp:
This is a similar concept to the design in my initial ideas. Even though I think that this is a simple and effective design, I think this could branch out (no pun intended) to more unique ideas. I like how the lampshade is handing from the log of wood and how the branch is not a straight line, but is rather bent to create more shapes and curves within the design.
I will definitely consider implementing more curves in my design to show motion and make it more interesting.
I can definitely consider doing a three lamp design as it will make it more intricate.
This design differs drastically from the previous one. The obvious difference is the base of the lamp. The previous ones have a usual lamp base, whereas, this one depicts series of branches interlacing with each other. I consider this design absolutely stunning as it is very unique from the rest in the market.
I am definitely open and interested in examining this style of lamp.
NEOLITHIC
In this era, I wanted to examine table lamps that are inspired by pottery.
What stands out to me in this lamp is the lamp base. I really like the engravings on it and the pattern looks very visually pleasing. I like the bulky shape of the design and how it matches with the shape of the lampshade. I also like the texture and how there's discolouration in some areas, making it look more natural.
These remind me of buffet lamps. They have a very long lamp base which make them look more elegant. I like the idea of using more elegant pottery inspiration to create my design. It is evident that the people in my questionnaire survey liked elegant product, therefore, this would be ideal. I can definitely look into this further.
What stands out to me specifically in these designs, is the colour scheme created. I really love the concept of using the same colour throughout as it makes it look more modern and minimalistic.
I have not really considered materials and colour schemes yet, so this is food for thought.
BRONZE ERA
In the bronze era, I decided that I was going to create a ceiling lamp inspired by the pyramids. This was similar research I found:
This looks very aesthetically pleasing to me as it is very minimalistic. The only dark colour existing is the frame which makes it stand out. I think that it could be a good potential idea to combine the bronze with glass to create a transparent finish with perhaps a bronze outline. It will emit more light and make it stand out more.
Additionally, I like the different orientations of each and the levels in which they are placed. It elevates your eye and makes you notice all three designs.
IRON AGE
The last era is the iron age which is inspired by shields and sun.
This is a design I found that was inspired by a shield. I really like the shape of the design and I think that this could be an element of my design which would be beneficial.
I like the simplicity of the shape without any more curves or edges.
This is a design I found which can be used to build on the previous design. I can use this shape as an inspiration in my own designs. I can add the sun rays and then in the middle can be this shape. I have established that I like layers, therefore, adding an open sphere with lamp inside may create really nice reflections.
This was the last design I looked at. Even though it resembles a sun, I think it can also be interpreted as a shield. It has that dome shape that helps showcase the shield inspiration. I think this looks really nice and it shows that shields can be combined with suns to form a great aesthetic.
Conclusion:
I am glad I conducted this research. I was unsure of the efficiency of it at the beginning, however, it really helped shape my ideas and generate more ideas for the development stage. Now, I can finally develop them.
Personally , the examples of lamps you have shown here are very variable in quality - this is no reflection on you, but useful to see how other designers are approaching this idea. Some of them are almost kitsch. The ones that are most sophisticated and the kind of approach you are taking seem to be the Iron age examples - they seem most at home in a domestic setting, less obtrusive than the other examples here.
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