Designing the Philips Wake-up Light
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Transcript of Designing the Philips Wake-up Light
Now in its fourth generation, the Wake-up Light has sold more than one million units since
launching in 2006. By gradually increasing its light, the product wakes users up naturally,
leaving them feeling more refreshed and ready for the day ahead. Over the years, designers
have honed the product’s aesthetics from that of a combination of alarm and bedside lamp,
into a strikingly pure, stand-alone design. The simple yet organic profile of the new lamp is
reminiscent of the Wake-up Light’s first inspiration: the sun rising in the morning.
Philips DesignBackgrounder
Designing thePhilips Wake-up Light
2Philips Design October 2012
History
Philips demonstrated an early prototype of the Wake-up
Light at its 2006 Simplicity Event. Dubbed the Rise & Shine
light, the concept formed part of the’ Next Simplicity’ area,
where the company showcased simplicity-inspired designs
which could potentially launch in the following three to
five years. All fifteen concepts had been developed based
on extensive worldwide research into the social and
cultural trends that would influence consumers’ future
needs and desires.
The bedside lamp was showcased as part of the ‘Care
for your Body’ theme, which explored new ways to use
light in products to energize and rejuvenate people. At
the time, Philips sought to address consumers’ needs for
scientifically proven, yet engaging and relaxing activities.
The Rise & Shine lamp was designed to help people wake
up and fall asleep by mimicking the gradual changes in the
sun’s light.
Clinical research
Around the same time, Philips had carried out extensive
research with leading light therapy experts into the
relationship between light and well-being. That research
showed a positive correlation between dawn simulation
and how people feel when they wake up.
Waking up to gradual light, like a sunrise, is hard-wired
into the human brain. As light falls on a person’s eyes,
a message is sent to their brain that stimulates production
of cortisol, known as the energy hormone. Waking up
to dawn simulation has also been proven to help keep a
person’s internal body clock in sync. It helps to regulate
our circadian rhythm, promoting better sleep and reduced
stress levels – unlike waking up in the dark to a sudden
noise like a traditional alarm clock.
Trend analysis
The creation of the Wake-up Light concept called on
Philips Design’s trend research program, which seeks out
emerging trends for the future. As part of the program,
a creative team of trend experts analyze emerging themes
in areas such as art and architecture to help them pinpoint
future concepts, influences and aesthetics.
At the time, the trends team found that consumers were
becoming more focused on listening to nature’s rhythms,
and linking this back to their biological clock. They
observed a strong desire to focus on seasonal changes
and live a healthier life.
First Wake-Up Light
Second generation Wake-Up Light
Third Wake-up Light design
3Philips Design October 2012
design by removing the base section, effectively turning
the entire object into a light. The product’s main material,
a sturdy natural polycarbonate in a high-end matt finish,
echoed those used in more traditional lamps, such as glass,
ceramic and metal. The designers also worked with a sound
artist to create an improved range of noises for the alarm.
By moving the display panel inside the product, the
team gave the lamp a sense of pure simplicity, that both
consumers and the industry loved. In 2009, the second
generation scooped iF and red dot awards for outstanding
product design.
However, in simplifying the lamp, the designers had to
move the user interface to the side of the product.
With so many buttons and switches to navigate, users
sometimes found the interface too complex. So with
the third version, the designers stripped down the user
interface to a simpler selection, but reworked the look
into a more rounded, traditional lampshade-like shape.
Rising sun
With the fourth generation, launched in September 2012,
the Philips Design team transformed both the style and
form of the Wake-up Light into a fully-blown interior
design object. Consumer workshops had revealed that
many people associated a circle with the Wake-up Light
concept. With this in mind, the design team reworked the
existing upright, lamp-shaped light into a version inspired
by the sun – both in shape and function.
The resulting design is the smallest yet, leaving more room
on the bedside table. To keep the front of the light clear
of clutter, the design team created an innovative new
display interface. An LCD sitting inside the casing creates
the image, which is then projected onto the front.
The research also showed a change in peoples’ attitude
toward their bedrooms. Although those interviewed
still thought of the room as a very personal and intimate
space, the team saw a change toward fashion and more
frequent decoration, and an upswing in the importance of
including aesthetic objects like vases and art.
Before launching the Wake-up Light, Philips Design went
through a rigorous process of consumer tests to validate
the insight behind the product. They received extremely
positive feedback, with comments such as, “I have more
energy and get up without any stress,” and, “my boyfriend
and I noticed that, since we have the Wake-up Light, we
have more energy throughout the day. Our productivity
is higher and we feel that our daily rhythm is smoother.”
Independent research showed that eight out of 10 Wake-
up Light users found it easier to get out of bed in the
morning.
Designing the light
However, designing the final version proved a challenge.
Tests showed that people need a lot of light to wake up
successfully – around 250-300 lux – which is difficult to
achieve in a small unit. In addition to this, the team needed
to integrate a large number of features – including the
alarm settings, radio stations, pre-recorded sounds, and
light intensity – in a simple and intuitive way.
Philips designers initially addressed this issue by creating
a mushroom-shaped product with a large lamp head that
was big enough to give off 300 lux, and an alarm clock base
that housed the time display and all the buttons. This first
version was a huge market success from its launch in 2006.
But by 2008, research indicated that people wanted a more
compact and contemporary aesthetic, so Philips Design
created the second generation. The team simplified the
Sketching out ideas for the latest Wake-up Light
©2012 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.All rights reserved.
The effect is a seamless and stylish display, which
appears to float within the light. The lamp also
features a brand new light sequence that simulates
the color of the sun rising, slowly changing from soft
dawn reds to a warm daylight bright yellow.
The multiple functions of the new light have also
been designed for intuitive use. The physical controls
that switch the alarm and radio on and off, and alter
the volume and light, are housed in a discreet ring
around the outer edge of the light. For the first
time, this latest model also has a reverse mode that
sets the light sequences and sound levels to work
in the opposite way to aid falling asleep. The menu
itself is controlled by touch-sensitive buttons on
the front, placed just below the seamless display.
The new light comes in three models. The top-
end version is operated by docking to an iPhone.
The Philips Wake-up Light App enables simple
and intuitive navigation through the menu options.
All three models contain long-life LED lights, which
make the lamps energy efficient whilst also making
the new Colored Sunrise Simulation possible.
High-end finishes
For the top two models, the design team found an
elegant way to add a high-end finish to the light.
Inside, they incorporated a thin layer of a white,
light-diffusing plastic to create a pleasingly soft
light effect. Over that, they added a thick layer
of transparent plastic to give the finished product
a pleasing sense of depth and a glass-like finish.
Design Awards
2009
iF product design award
2009
red dot award: product design
Colored Sunrise
Simulation
For further information
contact:
Ange Dunselman
Philips Design Communications
+31 (0)6 2032 4488
Philips Design
Philips Design is a recognized global
leader in people-centric design. Our
creative team strives to understand
people’s needs and desires and to
translate these into solutions and
experiences that create value for people
and business. Design at Philips ensures
that our innovations are meaningful
and that the Philips brand experience is
preferable and consistent across all its
touch-points.