illuminate
A warm-lit, user-friendly lamp for individuals with Parkinson’s—enhancing ease of use and emotional well-being.
Project focus: Accessibility, Product Design, Wiring, Research
problem
1 million Americans live with Parkinson’s disease.
Traditional lamps increase discomfort and are difficult to operate for people with Parkinson’s.
research
UC Parkinsons Together
a student-led and run nonprofit to provide care to people with Parkinson's.
I heard first hand stories from caretakers for people with Parkinson’s. I learned to make every step of this experience accessible for people with Parkinson’s, easing the workload of caretakers.
Scott Rider
was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 14 years ago, advocates for people with Parkinson’s, and is a board member of Parkinson’s Foundation Development Committee
Talking to Rider, I learned a lot about emotional distress that Parkinson’s can cause. Parkinson’s is a lonely disease, the slow loss of abilities can cause people to isolate themselves out of self-consciousness. It can also cause anxiety and depression.
users
Parkinsons is referred to as the Snow Flake Disease because no two cases are the same.
People with Parkinson’s need a lighting solution that is stable, easy to control, and provides comforting light to improve mood.
analyzing color
1960s inspiration
I drew visual inspiration from products and fashion popular in the 1960s. Their use of warm color and interesting yet ergonomic forms strongly inspired my final design.
form exploration
Final concept: A retrofuturistic cylindrical lamp, extruded fins provide support for the base and distort the light in an interesting way. Eliminates need for a small, difficult button by powering on when user pushes the top of the lamp.
Low to mid fidelity models using cardboard and 3d printing. I scaled up the lamp over time to make it sturdier and give it more surface area to emit light. The fins were modified to give user’s fingers a guide to grip the lamp if needed to be picked up.
Testing color combinations and initial CAD models of the lamp using Fusion360.
design analysis
Battery testing which print makes removing a battery easiest. Three people tested each print and all three decided the iteration on the right is the most accessible.
First round print analysis
Second round print analysis
