The idea behind this Tilt Light is to bring an ambience of light into a bedroom or desk space through simple user interaction. It is designed to be non obtrusive, as its purpose is to subtly fill the room with light whilst still being functional for the user. This project was part of a collaborative brief with Instrmnt, a Glasgow based firm who make quality, industrial goods that are accessible to all.
During my design process, I looked at some of their existing products - which are dominated by minimal and modern watches. These inspired the choices I made for the light; the shape, form and simplicity, as I referenced and liaised with the studio throughout. I focused closely on the fittings and materials used, which led to my final design bringing two contrasting materials together, with an uninterrupted join like that on their 02 watch. This design choice was also influenced by the City Bike which uses two contrasting materials in a complimenting way.
At the very early concept stages for this light, my initial idea was for the action to also be the product. So in essence what we ended up with was the action of a light switch, where the switch is the light.
The minimal design, made from wood-turned Ash and frosted acrylic, adds to the subtlety of the product with the seamless shape and movement. Completed with a satisfying magnetic join on the lid, the user can easily access the internal components if need be.
Planning
Tilt was fully crafted by myself. The components can be seen above, and then the bowl made from Ash wood which I turned and milled is below. There were intricate calculations that went into milling the inside to ensure that the weight ratio was dispersed correctly, so the light could balance perfectly up right or at the tilting angle which would activate the switch. This was a project that I enjoyed because it fully revolved around form and function.
Making
