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Spine Environment Cleansing Lighting System by Kevin Chu |
Home > Winners > Design #62936 >Interview |
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FS: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
KC: In 2015 i was working with my Italian partners to come up with a lighting design that should be the most flexible and adaptable on the market while retaining a good price point, ease of mobility and the possibility of modular customization. The first inspiration was taken from the human spine as it is one of the most vital organs and essential to survival. Taking this into consideration in 2016 we started to research into photocatalysis and wait until 2017 before the first perfect formula of this technology was available to us.
FS: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
KC: A lamp that you can carry around, adaptable to most surfaces, cleans your surrounding environment,
FS: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
KC: The design is going into final phase of prototyping in Italy and will be launch on the market early 2019. It will be on Kickstarter and Indiegogo once its ready. We already have quite an extensive back order to our design as i think it really reflects the "moment of our times" where the product serves far more functions then it costs while also giving so much back to the manufacturing industry and our planet.
FS: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
KC: The concept actually took a very long time from initial concept in 2015, went through a long period of gestation as we cannot find the right LED technology for our concept, while we also waited for photocatalysis technology to mature. In 2018 LG Korea approached us with their latest OLED flexible light technology we knew that our concept can be realized fully. Currently we are waiting for LG to send us the first production samples of the OLED panels so we can starting treating them in our patented photocatalytic treatment for further testing.
FS: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
KC: In the beginning i simply decided to pursuit my own inspiration and retain as much creative freedom as possible!!!But since the advent of LG OLED flexible lighting collaboration. We are now partners with LG to push this design to launch.
FS: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?
KC: We are working with LG to produce this product but we are looking for global distribution partners and other manufacturing channels to lower the cost.
FS: What made you design this particular type of work?
KC: I wanted to introduce to the market the most flexible and mobile lighting solution that also can make you healthier. Whilst at the same time become a large installation/lighting project inside any interior. The design introduces a highly flexible concept where the more lighting units you have, the more adaptable it becomes whilst also increases exponentially the environment cleansing power.
FS: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
KC: Yes, my long life collaboration partner and constant muse: my wife as well as the amazing rendering skill of my technical director Mauro Berti. I also did quite extensive market research on the design of the lamp.
FS: Who is the target customer for his design?
KC: I believe anyone who wants an extremely well made, contemporary, beautiful and totally customizable product that also improve your life quality in your own environment as well as our planet.
FS: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
KC: We know for a fact we are the first company in the world that are working on environment cleansing furniture as we already been awarded the world wide patent. I also think it is the first lamp on the market that can change through geometrical customization as well as adapt to a wide variety of surfaces in any architectural projects.
FS: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
KC: It all started with the flexibility and life dependency of the Spine. So it is appropriately name after this organ.
FS: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
KC: 3D printing, 3D Max, AutoCad, Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED)
FS: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
KC: It is the only flexible environment cleansing lamp on the market. Easily carried around, can be combined into a vast array of shapes and geometry and increases its cleansing power as more units are purchased. Make each buyer part of a global movement to cleans the planet's environment.
FS: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?
KC: I work with my technical partner to come up with the photocatalytic technology as well as evolution of the design and manufacturing. LG is our partner in OLED technology as well as our marketing advisers.
FS: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
KC: Standard photocatalytic treatment that are on the current market need UV light and air to work. But with our patented invention we have expanded the light spectrum to visible light as UV are harmful to humans. During the day Any Light Source and air will start the photocatlysis process and during the night when the light is switched on, the process will continue. It becomes a constant cycle that rejuvenates your environment.
FS: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
KC: We have been working with many universities on photocatalysis research as well as read many papers on the study. One of the upcoming University that will further test our lamp is D'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pesacra in the Abruzzo region of Italy with Doc Giovanni Di Bonaventura, who is the head of microbiology. Please see link: https://en.unich.it/
FS: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
KC: The design has to wait for technology to catch to its concept. In 2015 LED simply didn't work for use as it was limited by its thickness and flexibility. Also we always wanted a light source that is highly constant over a large flat plane that is no more then 0.5mm thick. Also photocatalysis technology was mature enough at the time and not until last year did all these elements come into unity.
FS: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
KC: We always knew we will submit this design to many esteem/global top level competitions as the technology and design is so unique, in order to get to market launch we need as much publicity as possible to gain market share and hopefully recoup our extensive R&D cost and time.
FS: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
KC: I think this lamp lays the foundation to all our current and future concepts that offers air clean technology as well as highly customizable designs. Because i followed through from initial sketch, 3D model making, manufacturing collaboration, scientific research, graphic design, marketing channels and suppliers collaboration. It has made me highly knowledgeable in all the steps when coming to realization of this product. As per usual i am never satisfy with any product even when is market launchable so i am constantly working on updates and improvement on current and future versions. Our photocatalytic technology is also an on going process as scientific research are evolving in leaps all the time.
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
KC: No. Thank you and i hope all the answers are helpful
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A' Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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