When you flip on a lamp, it’s so convenient that it feels free. You probably aren’t thinking that about 10% of your household energy bill comes from lighting, or the ecological toll of utility companies burning gas to keep your lights on.
Dina is a whimsical idea, much like the other two projects that Moak is showing off at the Promote Design DIN Exhibition for Milan Design Week. A Bluetooth speaker called the Hilo forces you to change the volume, not by pushing a button, but by pulling out a long knob. This interaction changes the music’s decibels much like a slide whistle changes pitch.
The studio’s third project is another lamp called Volé, which features a wind vane on top. By blowing or flicking the vane, your body’s own force produces light. It’s unclear if there’s literally a generator inside, or the wind vane is more a metaphor for turning your body’s energy into light. In any case, all three projects are provocative pokes at the status quo of interactive, industrial design, reminding us that there’s really no good reason that every lamp or speaker needs to work the same old way.