Reimagining a side table through joyful storytelling and material exploration
The Lamp
An interactive companion that communicates through
soft signals—exploring time awareness and presence.
Duration
October- December 2025 (2 months)
Skills
Mechanical Prototyping, CAD modeling (SolidWorks) , Arduino Prototyping, 3D printing (Bambu Lab)
Materials
Arduino Nano & electronic components (full list below), PLA & PETG (3D printing), screws, LED light bulb
October- December 2025 (2 months)
Skills
Mechanical Prototyping, CAD modeling (SolidWorks) , Arduino Prototyping, 3D printing (Bambu Lab)
Materials
Arduino Nano & electronic components (full list below), PLA & PETG (3D printing), screws, LED light bulb
This made me wonder:
What if everyday static objects are no longer passive participants in our everyday lives, but become an active presence? How would that change the way we see or interact with them?
“Objects With Life” was my Master thesis at Rhode Island School of Design, where I look at everyday static objects in domestic spaces and explore what happens when they begin to move. My work focuses on how motion can suggest intention, emotion, or personality, and how that changes the way we relate to objects. Through mechanical prototyping and behavioral design, I’m exploring how movement can become a form of communication, creating cues through behavior.
Intension
This is the prototype of the moving lamp interacting with the user. It senses the user’s presence and tries to be present for them in return. Beyond simply adding light to the desk, it communicates the passage of time through movement, reminding the user so they don’t lose track of time or forget about upcoming events.
The lamp searches for the user when the user is not around. When the user sits down and starts working, the lamp sits quietly beside them.
If the user continues to ignore it, the lamp starts to wonder why they aren’t moving on. It turns toward the user, almost as if in confusion.
Process
Light plays a big part in my daily life. My desk lamp quietly sits beside me. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to work, I wouldn’t even be able to see what I’m doing. While I am technically in control of the lamp, I decide where to place it and when to turn it on, it also has a certain control over me. For instance, if it breaks, it can simply refuse to turn on.
What if my desk lamp could communicate with me through movement and light?
To understand what kinds of motion would be meaningful for a lamp, I researched ADHD and interviewed individuals with ADHD. Strategies that help with ADHD often help a broader audience too, given how many people relate to challenges like losing track of time or forgetting upcoming events.
Research shows that ADHD is linked to altered activation in brain regions responsible for tracking time, making time harder to feel and transitions harder to initiate (Weissenberger et al., 2021). This is often described as time blindness, difficulty sensing the passage of time or estimating how long a task will take (Gushiken et al., 2022).
A related challenge is hyperfocus, where someone becomes so absorbed in a task that everything else fades away (Oroian, Nechita, & Szalontay, 2025). Common coping strategies include alarms, timers, app blockers, and the Pomodoro technique (ADD.org, n.d.) , though my interviews revealed mixed feelings about alarms specifically: some found them effective for interrupting a task, while others found abrupt interruptions made transitions harder, or simply paused the alarm and forgot about it.
One interviewee shared a particularly insightful example:
“In kindergarten, teachers would tell kids that in 15 minutes, they would need to start putting toys away. They wouldn’t make them switch tasks immediately.”
Many ADHD individuals experience transitions the same way, needing a gradual cue rather than a sudden one.
Research shows that ADHD is linked to altered activation in brain regions responsible for tracking time, making time harder to feel and transitions harder to initiate (Weissenberger et al., 2021). This is often described as time blindness, difficulty sensing the passage of time or estimating how long a task will take (Gushiken et al., 2022).
A related challenge is hyperfocus, where someone becomes so absorbed in a task that everything else fades away (Oroian, Nechita, & Szalontay, 2025). Common coping strategies include alarms, timers, app blockers, and the Pomodoro technique (ADD.org, n.d.) , though my interviews revealed mixed feelings about alarms specifically: some found them effective for interrupting a task, while others found abrupt interruptions made transitions harder, or simply paused the alarm and forgot about it.
One interviewee shared a particularly insightful example:
“In kindergarten, teachers would tell kids that in 15 minutes, they would need to start putting toys away. They wouldn’t make them switch tasks immediately.”
Many ADHD individuals experience transitions the same way, needing a gradual cue rather than a sudden one.
more details coming soon...