Material Selection
Carefully thought out choices.
Main materials used
01
Aluminium
02
Opal Acrylic
03
Cherry Hardwood
01
Aluminium
One of the most abundant metals on the planet- revolutionizing the way that we live our daily lives. Aluminium is found in a wide spread of industries and products, from the handheld smartphones we use to the cars we drive. This metal is relatively easy to recycle, requiring only 5% of the energy and emissions needed to make it from the raw ore bauxite.
02
Opal Acrylic
A less commonly known plastic that has some very desirable properties. Opal Acrylic is a thermosetting polymer with a fantastic surface finish and flatness. Its translucent to opaque appearance makes it a great choice for diffusing the harsh directionality of LEDs and creating a soft lighting appearance .
03
Cherry Hardwood
Hardwoods in general come from slower growing tree species, resulting in a structure that is more dense than their softwood siblings. Usually, this more dense form brings with it a superior level of strength and durability. The product features a darker tone of cherry for the base, contrasted by the light colour of the aluminium armature.
Transport of goods/ Materials
Environmental Considerations
Our material sources reflect the stakeholder's product requirements. Since the LUXIO lamp is a high end and limited production lamp, we are able to source a portion of the components locally. The cherry wood tree which is used in the base of the lamp is native to both the UK and Europe. Furthermore, cherry is a sustainable wood source meaning the environmental impact is minimised.
Whilst a manufacturer who is looking to mass produce low cost lamps may use globalisation as their main tool to achieve this, we are not limited by these factors. As Perspex cast acrylic (Opal acrylic) has been made in the UK since 1933, we are able to again reduce the transportation costs and the environmental impact. The Aluminium tubes that are used in the LUXIO lamp assembly are standardized components, meaning that very little energy was used by us in adjusting them for the final product.
The LUXIO's components are fully modular, meaning that parts that begin to malfunction can be easily replaced without the need of expertise. However, to avoid a scenario where parts break, users can take care of the lamp by placing it on a stable desk or shelf. As for chemical damage, users should not use the LUXIO outside of enclosed spaces to avoid dust and moisture from affecting the circuitry. Since the lamp has been assembled with simple disassembly in mind, the LED's are not sealed from water.
The choice of Aluminum for the lamp's armature over an alternative material such as copper was originally made due to aluminium's resistance to corrosion. Whilst both metals form oxides, aluminium oxide forms only a thin layer on top of the metal that helps to preserve the layers below it. Meanwhile copper turns into copper oxide with time, giving it an unpleasant green tone.
Lifecycle analysis and further environmental considerations are explored in section 7.
Product maintenance
The effect we have on employment
At Lumen Lamps we are very aware of the societal impact that any manufacturer of a product creates. Whilst production doesn't have to be on a mass scale for an impact to be made, it is most greatly noticed at those larger scales. The LUXIO lamp is only really limited to a batch production at best. This level is what adds to the desirability of the lamp. Our stakeholders are interested in not only the aesthetic but also the sense of specialty and bespoke craftsmanship.
Aiming our sights to the horizon where the LUXIO is batch produced we would see an increase of skilled workers. The production of the lamp would require a small workshop and an assembly line. Workers will have a high aptitude with the machinery that is being used and produce components to a high degree of accuracy. In this small way, Lumen still does positively contribute to the society and the economy.
Social Considerations
Does it matter who you work for?
Another important question that employees must ask themselves. Unfortunately, a lot of large scale companies have a lack transparency between high level management and workers. This makes it difficult for an employee to really consider whether the company's ventures are socially and ethically correct. Lumen Lamps has the advantage of a very small team, so all work is truly transparent to both employees and consumers, from the process to make the lamps to the impact they have.
The customer's best interests
We know and respect the customer's values and our lamps are truly reflective of this. Our product does not promote or have any damaging or harmful components when used as advised. Furthermore, we actively look to improve customer experience- so, we offer to show customers, in person, how to operate the product and how we give life back to parts by recycling or restoration.
Can we be more environmentally friendly?
Ethical Considerations
All manufactures leave a carbon footprint behind themselves, even if parts are simply being bought and assembled. One method would be to attempt to source our materials locally rather than from other countries. This does in fact come with a few advantages such as the general benefit to the economy, increasing employment and quick communication with suppliers.
Another method which has been adopted by many major brands is carbon emission offsetting. To offset emissions, we must first begin by analyzing where our major sources come from. Largely for us, the processing of raw material which is done outside of the workshop is a large contributor. To reduce these, we can look to companies that are certified carbon neutral and utilize cleaner methods of transport, e.g. biofuels. In the workshop, all machinery used runs on electric power. We believe the best method to reduce our impact would be endorsing more sustainable energy such as solar and wind power.
Throwaway Society
This is a model that is utilised by many companies in the bid to entice consumers to spend more money. Often this is a tool best combined with Planned obsolescence that leads to products being disposed of earlier in their lifespan than expected. Whilst we automatically might associate these strategies with mass manufacture and low-cost produce, it is actually increasingly common in premium brands. Examples include the smartphone industry where Planned obsolescence and difficult to disassemble componentry forces consumers to purchase the newer models or to pay a hefty bill for a repair.
Lumen Lamps has veered clear of this path when designing the LUXIO. Almost all parts can be taken apart and recycled if need be.
Cultural Impacts
Cultural Considerations
Sometimes overlooked by designers in the effort to push their product to market under tight deadlines, cultural factors can greatly influence the shape and aesthetic of a design.
The key here is to ensure that what is being designed does not offend users of different cultural backgrounds. In example, colours across the globe represent different emotions and have varying effects on people's thought processes. This in turn inevitably changes the perception of what your product depicts. Manipulating these factors for different markets is a strategy that would likely see positive returns with time.
Lumen Lamps's role
As previously mentioned, Lumen Lamps limits its production to a relatively small batch scale. So, on paper, lamps that are produced in the workshop will likely only sell nationally.
However, if we were to assume that the LUXIO was a mass produced product, (ignoring the associated costs and difficulty to produce)
we would need to take into account the cultural differences depending on the market we sell to.
From our research, none of the components of the LUXIO have an offensive context. The name of our brand 'Lumen' is derived from the Latin word for light and has no other apparent meaning in other languages except a quantity of light in the English language. In both African and Asian culture, the colour brown of the lamp's cherry wood base is representative of positive images such as wealth and serenity.
