The intention was to use projected light to influence the mood of the environment,

the quality of the light needed to be dynamic and changing over time

so as to make it an experience for the user. 

My design process started with some rudimentary experimentation into adding dynamic lenses and filters to the light to change its qualities. Moiré interference patterns and inflatable lenses were my first rapidly prototyped tests, quick and dirty, whatever will show the results best.

I also built a jig with adjustable height to test for the optimal distance from the light source to the lens and filters. It was at this stage that I realised two important factors; the moiré patterns were not viable for projected shadows, and the dimensions and scale of the lens were determined by the volume of the syringe that I was using.

Too small of a lens and the LED would need to be too close for it to properly function, too large of a lens and the inflation/expansion affect wasn't noticeable anymore. It later became apparent that all of the dimension of my final product would be determined by this one value; the volume of the syringe.

With a basic understanding of the required form-factor of my internal components, I started ideating with an outlet page of basic shapes and features. The inflatable lens had the effect of making the projected light appear to breathe. Using this, I tweaked my goal to make it a calming experience, one that would be applicable in a day spa or yoga studio.

I kept this in mind throughout my ideation.

through experimentation between sketches and development models I settled on a form that would allow the product to be placed unobtrusively in the corner of a room. This has the benefit of easier cable management and also means that the appliance can be modular. Multiples of the appliance can be used together and in conjunction to influence a larger space.

At this stage I had not yet considered the internal workings fully, was still hoping to use an electric pump with reversible polarities to inflate and deflate the lens. The pump was not quite as viable an option as I had hoped, so my design reverted to a crank and piston mechanism. This meant that I needed far fewer internal components and a much simpler electrical circuit, but it also meant that my light source had to be offset from the center.

My earliest models don't reflect this.

My first full scale mock-up was invaluable in understanding the size, scale, specific dimensions and geometry of the final product. It also allowed me to directly interact with the design one-to-one, I could pick it up and feel how/where it was most comfortable to be held. I could actually place it in the corner and see how much space it took up. I could also see which parts of the design had not yet been thought through.

My first functional prototype showed me where the internal components needed to be and how they would interact with each other, it also served to demonstrate the dynamic effects of the light. The large "empty space" of the front surface felt too stark and in need of some visual interest, my first solution was not an effective one...

My final refinement on the shape of the appliance is illustrated in the above digital renders.

The video above shows the dynamic effect that is achieved by the inflation and deflation of the lens as well as the changing coloured filter that cycles in front of the LED. The video is sped up to illustrate the effect. The rate and tempo is much slower to influence the breathing of the people who are experiencing the light. A rate of between 8-10 seconds per cycle should produce the calmest breathing rate. The blue light filter is also intended to have a calming effect.