LIGHT BRANDING

CARRIE LIU
MA Design & Branding Strategy 2002

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank everyone who has helped with material for this research project, in particular the Design Week, Wallpaper and Design Management Journal. To Ray Holland, John Boult and Darren Southee, thank you for giving me your time and tutorship to help me in writing this project. And many thanks to Tricia Eldridge for all her help. I am also extremely grateful to all of my family, friends, and classmates who gave me many tremendous ideas, and were nothing but always accommodating to my deadline. I would particularly like to thank the founder of Fluid Lighting Tim Becker for his tremendous patience on cooperating with me for the interview by e-mails and his great input on my research.

Executive Summary
As the title suggests, this research project investigates how the uses of lights can be applied to a brand or a product and how light branding can best discover, evaluate and communicate in todays fast changing market. Through literature and research it examines that light design from many different landscape architectures to variety of products, may have raise value which can be transferable to help in product design and in developing a relationship between a brand and customers, then to help the brand to gain brand recognition through its light branding. The purpose of this research project is to discover the possibility of using light as a tool in branding strategy. This notion is explored further in the following section, which addresses the key issues for this report.

Contents
Abstract . 5 1 2 Introduction ... 7 Literature Review . 9 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 3 4 Light and Colour .. 9 Light, Colour and Emotion .... 11 Light and Health 15 Colour and Brand 17 Sensory Branding ... 21 Emotional Branding ... 24 Light in Films . 26 Light in Design .. 31

Key Question ... 39 Methodology 40 4.1 Research Methods . 40 4.1.1 4.1.3 Literature Review .. 40 Interviews .. 41 4.1.2 Observations ..... 40 4.2 Questionnaires .. 41

Findings 44 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Case Study: Apple Computer ... 44 Findings from the Questionnaires .... 46 The Initial Impact of Light ... 47 Case Study: Ford GloCar . 48 Car Colours .. 53 Can consumers recognize a product through its light brand? .. 55 Can light be a key product and brand differentiator? .. 56 Why use light? . 60 How should light be used? ... 63

Discussion .... 55 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4

6.5 6.6 7 8

Where does light fit in design process? ... 67 Who is responsible for light design? 69

Conclusions .. 71 References .... 75

Abstract
The main objective of this dissertation is to find out how light can be implemented in design and branding strategy. The main sections of the dissertation are as follows:

Introduction and Literature Review

Bringing colour and light into our daily lives helps in connecting with the corresponding different facets of one's self. Colour and light are the visual impulse that inspires us to realise our inner richness. The role of light in product design and branding are need to be investigated through the identification of the consumer perception of lights. The subject is divided into light in design and light branding, with light acting as the linkage between the tangible, product design and the intangible, brand.

Key Question
From the literature review the key question is defined along with sub-questions which are crucial to the area of light branding and design. The key question addresses the management of light if it is determined to be a key product and brand differentiator.

Methodology
The main research method was focus on literature. A number of specific topics and theory were discovered during the study. This section also outlines the way in which primary research to answer the key question was undertaken. And the recognition level of light brands is also explored from the questionnaire data collated.

Findings
Evaluation can be undertaken in a number of ways. Little direct evidence found in either literature or interview of its use. The role that senses and emotions on the use, or otherwise, of design process was investigated.

Discussion
The discussion explores where and how light can be used within the corporate climate and its

implications for design management. The difference between artists and designers in the design management was also discussed.

Conclusions
Design has to be acknowledged for the role that it can play in transforming into a product, and also in communicating with customers. The contributions that the findings from this dissertation can make to the world of designing with light are uncomplicated.

Introduction
The idea for this project was inspired by the film Batman Forever. The conception of Light Branding came to my mind when I saw the Symbol of Batman projected into the sky. Then I began to wonder what an interesting way of identifying himself. The presence of light and colour is accepted by most people of the world today without really giving it a second thought. Lighting is a reflection of how we perceive the world around us. Subjectively, it is a decision to withdraw elements or put emphasis on what it is believed to be more significant and communicative in a unique and specific context. Yet if we were cut out light, our world would quickly become extinct. Whether we realise it or not, Light and therefore colour, has a major dominance upon our lives. From awakening in the morning until we retire in the evening, we are saturated by an ever-changing relationship with the colours that are presented to us and perceived on so many different levels. Light is something always noticed in darkness. Even dim light is noticed. When light is present it enables one to function in what otherwise is darkness. Bringing colour and light into our daily lives helps in connecting with the corresponding different facets of one's self. Colour and light are the visual impulse that inspires us to realise our inner richness. We have started to realize just how important many cultural, emotional and aesthetic aspects are in creating a properly balanced, humane environment. It could be the most powerful catalyst and motivator, helping customers to recognise the brand which is firmly imbedded within their subconscious, and helping the brand to be differentiated from other competitors. Artists and designers have known for a long time, lighting is a powerful emotional tool. It is a creative medium - perhaps the most powerful of all-mediums. Most of what we know of our environment comes to us through our eyes, and the way we see, depends on how the space and objects are illuminated. Furthermore, new technologies that create opportunities for future products will enable designers to develop their ideas of creating new things. So is it possible to transfer our sense of recognition of light into design and branding? Light branding is still a new area, which the role of light in product design and branding are need to be investigated through the identification of the consumer perception of lights. The subject is

divided into light in design and light branding, with light acting as the linkage between the tangible, product design and the intangible, brand. Through the collation of research data it will be determined if light can be a key product and brand differentiator and the implications for brand strategy.

2 Literature Review

2.1 Light and Colour

For every person we ask, "What is colour?" You are sure to get a range of answers. A physicist will say it's a study of electro magnetic waves and their frequencies. A chemist may tell you it's a study of pigmentation. Others will say it's what the eye perceives. A psychologist may tell you it's the study of the mind, and an anthropologist could say it's a cultural phenomenon. In fact colour is all of these. Regardless of how we identify colour, all colour theory is based on the principle that colour is light. When a beam of light is refracted by a crystal prism, we can see a spectrum of colours. This spectrum of colour is unique to the human eye. COLOUR is the VISIBLE LIGHT (electromagnetic spectrum). It is an important component of visual perception. It can not be perceived without daylight or artificial lighting. Colour in light was first discovered by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666 when he passed light through a prism and created a rainbow of colours on his wall. Later, in 1802, a physician named Thomas Young proved that these colours all have a specific frequency and wavelength. This led up to his theory that light is made up of only three primary colours blue, green, and red and that all other colours are formed by a combination of these three. It is this theory that is the basis on which the processes in colour photography works. Determining the source of light is essential when working with colour. As a light source changes, so does colour. Natural white light is the presence of all colours, while darkness, or black, is the absence of all colours. The primary colours of light are red, green and blue, and when combined equally, they produce a white light. When selecting colours, it is very important to look at them in the same light in which they will remain. A certain shade of red in natural light will look very different in fluorescent light. The source of natural light, as well as the time of day, will affect colour. Colour is also defined as the perceived quality of light reflected or emitted by an object. The term perceived is important because each of us views colour differently. Some of us are extremely sensitive to colour and its application, while others do not consciously take notice. We can hardly ignore the drama of a beautiful sunset or an impressive landscape, but colour in interior spaces is

often ignored. Colour has a big impact on how we feel and behave in a space. In a drab dark room we may feel uncomfortable, while in a bright, vibrant room, spirits tend to be cheery and delightful. We normally dont realize that these emotions can stem from colour. The National Bureau of Standards estimates that the human eye can distinguish over ten million colours. Yet, colour is much more than reflected light, it is one of the most expressive elements of design because its quality affects our emotions directly and immediately. Successful interior designs harmonize form, space, light, texture, and colour. Colour is the integral element in every design, for a well-planned colour scheme can completely change the appearance and mood of a space. History shows that colour trends change with the times. The following colour Synopsis for the last century was provided by The Colour Marketing Group. 1900 You can have it in any colour as long as it is black. Henry Ford. 1910 Victorian era clothing is black and white, but colour is added to Victorian homes with somber golds and reds. 1920 Colour is in full swing. 1930 The depression brings in what is known as the taupe age. 1940 World War II brings a palette of heavy greys, somber teals, and thick reds. 1950 Colour explodes into bright pastels, appliances in aqua, pale yellow and pink. Another favourite colour is chartreuse green. 1960 Avocado green and harvest gold are in homes all across America. Yellows and Orange permeate the culture. 1970 Earth tones dominate. 1980 Gray takes over from beige as the neutral. Light blues and mauve are popular. Early 1990 Colours are rich with jewel tones. Several shades of green are popular, teal, sage and hunter. Late 1990 Corals, soft yellows and yellow greens. Effects such as pearlescent, iridescent, holographic and metallic are changing the future of colour.

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2.2 Colour, Light and Emotion

The concept that colour affects mood and influences behaviour has long been recognised, but little understood. It is a common misconception that colour psychology is purely subjective, with no objective criteria for predicting response, possibly because everyone responds instinctively and each of us has our own favourite colour. In commercial design, no matter how much time, money and effort are invested in the finest expertise and technology, when it comes to colour the decisions are largely made on the basis of rank. Although some people are generally deemed to have a "good eye", if the Chief Executive does not like green it would take a brave subordinate to take issue on such an apparently subjective matter, and insist upon using it. Without any objective rationale, it is difficult to challenge this. Another misconception is that, because colour is physically processed through the eyes, it is a purely visual phenomenon. However, colour is light and light is the source of life. As Faber Birren, the eminent American colourist, observed in 1950: "Its role in all forms of life is too evident to be either denied or ignored" Colour is light, and spectral hues are its components, as Sir Isaac Newton demonstrated when he shone white light through a triangular prism and the different wavelengths refracted at different angles, enabling us to see them separately. Scientifically, colour is the principal cue to composition - i.e. the first thing we register when assessing anything -and a powerful communication tool; therefore it is arguably the most critical element of design. Throughout millions of years of evolution, innately understanding the language of colour has helped humanity to survive - to recognise poisonous foods, threatening predators and danger signals of all kinds. In modern times this primitive instinct is often quite unconscious, but this does not diminish its power. When light strikes the eye, the different wavelengths do so in different ways; the eye constantly adjusts and long wave colours require the most adjustment. In the retina, they are converted to electrical impulses that pass to the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that governs our hormones and endocrine system. Thus colour sets up complex physiological reactions, which in turn evoke a psychological response. Every living creature on earth responds to the messages implicit in the play of light and colour. In Europe, when the world about us turns grey we recognise the onset of winter and instinctively draw in; large amounts of green in any landscape indicate plenty of water and therefore little danger of famine, so we are reassured; we recognise that a creature coloured black and yellow is unlikely to be friendly.

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It is important to recognise that colour symbolism, deriving as it does from our conscious associations, is a conditioned response - an entirely different process from colour psychology, which is what happens on an unconscious level. It is essential to take account of cultural conditioning, and often the two coincide - but if they do not, the unconscious response will prevail. Colour creates emotion, triggers memory, and gives sensation (Gael Towey, creative director, Matrtha Stewart Living Omnimedia) As consumers, we depend on the familiarity of Coca-Cola cans that are red and UPS trucks that are brown. A person doesnt need to read the type on a Tiffany gift box in order to know where the gift was purchased. Tiffanys signature blue sets off a series of immediate impressions that are aligned with the companys overall positioning and brand identity strategy. In the sequence of visual perception, the brain reads colour after it registers a shape and before it reads content. Choosing a colour for a new identity requires a core understanding of colour theory, a clear vision of how the brand needs to be perceived and differentiated, and ability to master consistency and meaning over a broad range of mediums. Light profoundly affects our feelings of well-being, of awe and wonder of mood, of comfort, of motivation. Louis Erhardt Colour is used to evoke emotion, express personality, and stimulate brand association. While some colour is used to unify an identity, other colours may be used functionally to clarify brand architecture, through differentiating products or business lines. 1. The ultimate goal is to own a colour-a colour that facilitates recognition and builds brand equity. 2. Different viewers experience colour differently in various environments. The designer is the ultimate arbiter for setting consistency across platforms. 3. Ensuring consistency across multiple media is an enormous challenge, and there is no off-the-shelf solution. 4. Colour is dramatically affected by various file formats and reproduction media. 5. Sixty percent of the decision to buy a product is based on colour. 6. Colours have different connotations in different cultures.

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The emotional effect of colour is a huge topic by itself and has undergone significant psychological research that is undoubtedly used by the major corporations such as Microsoft and Disney. Some theories suggest that people give meaning to colour by an intuitive sense that is universal to everyone. Another theory suggests that associations of colour are learned and are dependent upon a society, place and time. More than likely it is a combination of both. The basic reaction of the emptiness of solid white, black and gray, and the excitement of red, yellow and orange seem to be basic reactions for everyone.

Why do we have emotions? Rolls (1999) identified a number of inter-related functional aspects of emotion. These include: Emotional arousal elicits autonomic responses which prepare the body for action Emotions act as a simple interface between sensory inputs and action systems Emotions are motivating Emotions persist beyond the eliciting stimulus, ensuring persistent goal-directed behaviour Emotions allow communication of motivational states Emotions enhance social bonding Emotions direct our cognitive processes Emotions facilitate storage and recall of memories

There have been studies that test the preferences of colours at different ages with the following results: Babies and children, to the ages of six, prefer bright stimulating colours such as red, orange and yellow. At age seven to eight, there is a change from the preference of reds to the preference of blues. The theory is that this is also a change within the stages of childhood development. The preferences from age eight to sixty years old are blue, green, and violet, interchangeably, then red, yellow and orange.

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As a person grows older, his or her eyes grow weak and sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between green and blue. Cool greens and blues are preferred.

Visual and emotional comfort demand constant change and variety. The functional use of colour is designed around the use of a variety of colours in order to keep human responses continually active and to avoid severe visual adaptation or emotional monotony. Ralph M. Evan

If we think of colour as reflected light, then the nature of the illuminating source is important because it affects the colour we see. For example, in spring the hills in the south bay are green. In the morning light on a clear sunny day, the hills are especially green. The green is bright and saturated. A vivid green that is breathtaking. This green is a result of natural sunlight and clear optimal atmospheric conditions. As the day continues and the sun's intensity begins to fade, so does the colour of the green hills. By late afternoon - early evening the colour of the hills becomes a less saturated green. The green has more grey in it. The green is less intense than in the morning because there is less sunlight. From this we can see that colour is affected by light. The range of natural light is affected by the sun's position and atmospheric conditions. Similarly, the range of artificial light is determined by the nature of its source; florescent, incandescent, candle light Seeing the LIGHT is a choice, not seeing the LIGHT is no choice. (Doug Horton) So what does this have to do with design? This is clear a part of the developing an awareness of colour. Understanding how light can affect colour will give us more control over how we use it. From the research I understand that colour can be manipulated by other colours. Yellow will look more saturated if it is surrounded or next to its complimentary colour. Without doubt, colour can evoke emotional and social responses.

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Tone-varied images for identifying the subtle emotional state

2.3 Light and Health

Light has been both an elusive and necessary driving force in our biotic world since life began. Some organisms, like plants, use light simply for basic growth, but humans have looked at how light behaves in ways that have allowed us to move beyond a primitive state. Light Therapy pioneer, Dr. John Ott, states: "Light is a nutrient much like food, and like food, the wrong kind can make us ill, and the right kind can keep us well." Humans need light of specific intensity and colour range to regulate their internal biological clock. Without it, our daily, monthly and annual rhythms become disrupted.

The knowledge of light's effect on the human body is in its infancy, yet, researchers continue to discover the power of light in preventive and therapeutic medicine.

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Light regulates and stabilizes our physiology and emotions. Light through the eyes affects the brain and every cell of the body. Humans have a biological requirement for ultraviolet light, and it is currently unclear how much we need of the other colours of the spectrum. Evidence points to the fact that we could all benefit from a greater supply of natural light, particularly during the winter months.

Light enables us to see, and it plays several vital roles as it enters our eyes and our skin. Light enters the pineal gland (the body's light meter) via the retina. Its neurotransmitter, melatonin, influences the hypothalamus, which is responsible for controlling many of the endocrine functions that are disturbed in depressed individuals such as sleep and wakefulness, reproductive physiology, mood, and the timing of the biological clock. Colour and light have been used for healing since the beginning of recorded time. Ancient Egyptians built solarium-type rooms with coloured panes of glass. The sun would shine through the glass and flood the patient with colour. Some people use coloured silk cloths which are placed on the body and then flooded with sunlight. Early colour and light healers in the modern world used coloured gels and sheets of glass to apply light to the body. Others used colour infused water and colour meditations to send healing rays to the person. Today, there are many practitioners who use colour and light in interesting ways. Some therapists have a box with a mechanism that flickers light into the eyes. They report success in speeding the recovery of stroke victims and those persons who experience chronic depression. The earth, the oceans, in fact every living thing, is dependent upon light for its very existence. A recent scientific study disclosed that each cell in the body emits light. We live in a sea of energy and our bodies are composed of energy. Colour works through and in us, in every nerve, cell, gland and muscle. It shines in our auras and radiates upon us from the sun. Colour is an active power, exerting a tremendous influence on our consciousness, soul and spirit. Within our body, our organs, muscles, cells and nerves all have a level of vibration. When our body becomes out of balance, disease occurs. Each colour has its own frequency and vibration. Through extensive research, we know that colour and light will help bring our physical and emotional systems into balance.

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2.4 Colour and Brand

Branding is all about communicating the essence of the company, the products and the services to its own personnel and to the wider world. It is about letting existing and potential customers, and the staff, know what sort of company it is and what they can expect from it. It is an intricate process of combining visual communication with behaviour to create an image in the public's mind of who you are. Colour and brand identity are inextricably linked. A brands identity is a symbolic representation of its reason for being in our lives; a visual distillation of its core marketing message. Consequently, the visual language used to communicate this message must be strategic not arbitrarily based on the personal preferences of marketers or designers. Since colour tends toward the subjective, much of our energy has gone to educate marketers that colour is a strategic tool ... not simply a decorative whim. Colour is the visual component which people remember most about a brand (that yellow box of film, the copper-topped batteries, the red carton of milk), followed closely by shapes/symbols (i.e. Coca Cola bottle), then numbers, and finally, words. For example, a brand whose core essence is serenity and calm could best communicate this personality with light cool colours rather than with heavy, hot colours. Colour Affects has a different approach. It is based on the belief that the one universally attractive characteristic is authenticity. When the public are confronted by a brand that knows itself and communicates its values clearly, they feel that they can trust it. They believe what they are being told and a perception of integrity is created - the most powerful element of branding there is. Therefore, it is important to spend considerably more time on analysing the nature of the brand and the individual personality of the company, and less on analysing the target market. If there is a crystal clear view of the brand, the company ethos and philosophy, then it will be easier to choose the right colours that work individually and combine synergistically to project those values universally. Many companies spend so much time focusing on second guessing their target market that they do not in fact have that clear view of what their brand is actually all about. Colour surrounds us and manifests itself in our choices clothing, cars, decorations, logos and websites. Like it or not, colour also plays a large role shaping the identities of people, countries (think flags) and sporting teams. Colour can affect our moods and the millions spent by companies every year on careful branding and design is testament to popular belief that colour

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can influence our decisions and inspire our actions to purchase, encouraging loyalty, conveying seriousness, authority, or whatever. Colour should never be underestimated as a powerful vehicle of communication and symbolism and it goes a lot deeper than traffic lights directing us on the roads. Not surprisingly, now people are more convinced in the power of colour and from my research into colour facts, as well as into popular opinion, some companies have developed some interesting snapshots of colour. These are just the tip of the iceberg and dont even address eye and hair colour stereotypes or the interpretation of different colours in dreams. An understanding of the meanings and perceptions that surround specific hues can help set the mood for many communication activities. Only in the past decade, has the visual brand presence, what we consider brand essence, been approached in anything resembling a strategic, holistic, creative manner. Traditionally, the visual aspects of a brand were treated as decoration, with each marcom agency (design, advertising, promotion, digital) promoting its own vision of how the written brand position should be brought to life. As a result, key consumer touch-points often remain disparate entities, rather than offer a unified visual presentation to the consumer. That approach simply wont do in contemporary culture in which, dictated by our very biological wiring, brands are primarily experienced visually, in their totality. Unlike dogs, cats, or crocodiles, we humans are a sightdriven species, with 80% of our experience mediated through the eyes. We now understand that, with its direct link to the brains primitive limbic region, visual communication collapses the five senses into a primarily visual experience, evoking sensations of touch, taste, smell and sound. A quick rear-view glance can help put into perspective how the visual vocabulary of our culture has changed dramatically in the second half of the 20th century, reflecting and anticipating 21st Century lifestyle needs. Throughout the 80s Western culture was dominated by a square, linear, geometric, hardedged yuppie aesthetic, vividly depicted by Michael Douglas Gordon Gekko in the movie Wall Street. The age was a celebration of testosterone in Armani, dominated by the attributes of the masculine principle. Even women looked squared-off in their faux-masculine business suits. In the early 80s emerging star FedEx was a new brand. Fax machines were all the rage. The IBM Selectric typewriter, with 1,000 characters of stored memory, was the envy of every office.

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The idea of a computer on ones desk, or in the home, was just beginning to take form, and the vocabulary of Big Boxy Beige would remain with us well into the 90s. Even visions of the future were dominated by the masculine principal. Science-fiction portrayals of the 21st Century limned a landscape of sleek, steely square technology. At the pinnacle of the 90s, the product colour vocabulary evolved from the heavy, serious darks and glitzy golds of the 80s to a recycled, earth-friendly palette reflecting the prevailing themes of globalization and eco-friendliness, a key visual cue that often signalled premium a brand status. The World Wide Web was but a glimmer. Portable technology was still a future concept. The concept of sophisticated technology and performance was represented by rigid geometry (Gillette Sensor and Sensor Excel) dictated by the masculine principle. By the late 90s technology had become our daily sustenance. The collective vision of machines doing most of our drudgework, freeing up great quantities of leisure time, did not come to pass. Instead, we are more tethered to work than ever. Technology has become our taskmaster. It has bound us to our jobs in ways unimaginable a decade ago. We live at the speed of technology, which creates great strains and has unleashed a powerful antithesis dominated by a need to reunite with our biological rhythms, to reconnect to our senses. The natural order provides a counterpoint to our high-tech lifestyle. Celebrations of nature (natural products, shapes, textures, colours) reconnect us with our innate humanity. As technology exploded into our personal and work lives throughout the 90s, our cultural visual vocabulary evolved away from one rationality to one influenced by biology and genetics. The tectonic shift occurred in 1998, with the first break from the domination of the grid toward the emergent celebration of humanity birth and a new Human Aesthetic. The most influential products of the year sported rounded, ergonomic forms, translucence and COLOUR, and exhibited a sense of optimism and two even showed a sense of humour. Importantly, they realized success through a commitment to design and a consistent cross media visual presence: the Apple iMac, the new VW Beetle and the Mach 3 razor. The Human Aesthetic:

Empathetic (to our time pressed needs) Simple Sensory

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Optimistic Evocative Biological, Natural form High performance, high value Help us unplug, keep up or go faster

Where does this Human Aesthetic lead? In 1997, some people identified a trend that was a manifestation of our being tethered to technology and called it Survival of the Fastest. Daily life had become a sustained workout, dominated by the new speed paradigm. We found ourselves living at the speed of technology and felt a growing need tore connect with the natural biological rhythms of life. Sleep deprivation is a key fallout of fast living (impacts two-thirds of Americans). Living on six or less hours of sleep has become a badge of status, of entrepreneurship, power, and leadership. Our natural circadian rhythm, which balances our internal systems with the environment, has been defeated. The oscillation between wakefulness and sleep has been flattened to a state of semi-wake / semisleep. Artificial lighting and the move to indoor work has disconnected us further from natural rhythms. Human physiology is now experiencing a collision between the demands of a 24/7 world. Pre-modern sleep was that of mammals in the wild, punctuated before and after REM sleep with periods of quiet rest. ...in prehistoric times this [sleep] arrangement provided a channel of dreams and waking life that has gradually been closed off as humans have compressed and consolidated their sleep. If so, this alteration might provide a physiological explanation for the observation that modern humans have lost touch with their wellspring of myths and fantasies. (Awakening to Sleep: Verlyn Klinkenborg, The New York Times Magazine) In this Survival of the Fastest era, brands have taken on a more subliminal and emotional role in society. Brands have become our new myths and fantasies; cultural artefacts that define our hopes, dreams, aspirations, and fears. Like totems, brands represent personal and cultural identities, indicating where we have been and where we are going while they remind us of our humanity.

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2.5 Sensory Branding

In a world where vision is the dominant sense, and is the principal means by which marketers communicate with consumers, the other senses are marginalised. Consumers are bombarded by tens of thousands of visual sources of information every day, through television, mail, newspapers, magazines, posters and, increasingly, email, making it difficult to catch their eye, let alone inspire them. While nearly half of the brain is dedicated to processing what we see, more of our genes are devoted to the detection of odours than to any other kind of sensory information, suggesting that in our evolutionary past smell played a far more important role than it does today. And it could do so again. Smell is the sense that is most closely linked to the brains emotional centre and could therefore be harnessed to provoke a powerful emotional reaction. An understanding and embracing of senses could herald a new era of sensory marketing and open up the long neglected communication channels of not just smell, but also taste, touch and sound. Manufacturers and marketers have traditionally tended to appeal to each sense in isolation, but a growing number of researchers are starting to investigate how the senses interact to create the rich multi-sensory experiences that fill our daily lives. This understanding will lead to products that more effectively stimulate all of our senses, and so enhance our quality of life. And in commercial terms, multi-sensory communication could prove even more powerful and effective than our traditional reliance on all things visual. In this century, we may see something of a scent revolution, as smell takes on more of a role. For instance, it is likely that many more companies will start to develop their own unique signature scents. These scents will help companies to create a distinctive, unifying, and memorable scentimage that will help to distinguish them from their competition. Such scents may well be designed to have a therapeutic role, perhaps helping customers to relax or put them in a buying mood and provide an especially potent means of creating a lasting impression. Think how certain smells can immediately transport you to a particular place and time. While we might soon forget the unique colours of a visual logo, a signature scent may well stay with us for life.

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There is already evidence to support this. People find it easier to identify the smells of particular products such as Johnsons baby powder than to identify many natural odours such as coffee or lemon. Whats more, people almost invariably associated the brand name with the scent of the product. Just as the 20th century is all about visual stimuli, the 21st is already moving towards smell and combining the best of all the senses. We do not want to make the same mistakes as before creating yet another dominant sense. Scent alone is not a quick fix remedy for companies, we should be moving towards holistic sensory signatures. In fact, brain imaging techniques may soon be able to determine precisely which odour-colour combinations give rise to the greatest enhancement of neural processing in olfactory areas, and so help to predict precisely which combinations will make the greatest impression.

The Senses Poll

Which sense is most important to you?

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Internet Votes: 15390 (28/07/2003) 1:30AM (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chsense.html)

Taste Smell Vision Touch

(1203) (738) (10290) (1885)

Hearing (1274)

Just imagine what would happen if we could train our sense to be ever more acute. If we can train our bodies to Olympian standards, surely the same is possible with a sensory workout? Is a world of sensory superpowers just around the corner? While certain individual differences in sensory perception are genetic, others depend on environmental factors but just how much can we change our sensory abilities through practice? Can we train our noses to smell better? The answer is Yes. The average person can recognise

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around 2000 odours, but with training we can recognise around five times that. Experienced perfumers can name not only the country of origin of a particular sample of lavender oil, but also the farm from which it came. Olfactory experts often claim to be able to create and identify symphonies of smell in their minds using nothing more than their extraordinarily rich and vivid olfactory mental imagery - the minds nose. Would-be super smellers should start in the kitchen by trying to identify herbs and spices by their smell alone. Although difficult at first, most people find it much easier after just a few days practice. The next step is to try to identify the component smells in more complex odours such as household products or perfumes. Distractions to the other senses should also be eliminated - turning off any background music and closing eyes helps. But when it comes to training our nose, women stand the best chance of becoming sensory athletes. With relatively little training, they are able to improve their sensitivity to a number of different smells five-fold, while men show nothing like as much improvement. But what of the other senses? One consequence of our visual dominance over tactile perception is that by changing what you see, you can alter, and actually improve, what you feel. For example, in a test, participants asked to decide whether their arms had been touched with one or two fine wire filaments performed better when they were allowed to see their arm - but critically, not the filaments. More importantly their performance was improved even further when participants looked at their arm through a magnifying lens, so that their arm appeared to be bigger than it actually was. Such research suggests that the best way to improve our sense of touch may be to change what we see. In the same way, what we hear can also make a difference - as many skilled craftsmen have known for years. Carpenters who want to assess the finish of a piece of furniture often place a sheet of paper under their fingertips before running their fingers and the paper over its surface. The subtle sounds made by the paper as it passes over the wood act as auditory cues as to how it actually feels.

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2.6 Emotional Branding

The recent popularity of emotional branding was often based on the erroneous assumption that emotions can be simply 'glued' to brands by means of advertising. This assumption originated in the Classical Conditioning theory (you will recall Ivan Pavlov and his experiments with the salivating dogs). Today, this theory is largely obsolete, and thus abandoned as a means for modelling the attribution of emotional significance by humans. The unfortunate result was ineffectiveness of many branding campaigns. A new perspective on the nature of the relationship between the brand and the consumer comes from Mark Gob, creator of the d/g* worldwide agency in New York who published a book on the topic of emotional branding. In it he cites rules which companies should pay attention to in order to create a dynamic relationship between their consumers and their brand. The relationship between the brand and the consumer can be seen to consist of three stages - functional, evaluative and psychological (Alcock et al, 1987)

Which of the user's situational & motivational needs does the product meet?

Psychological

Functional
What does the product do?

Evaluative
How well does the product perform as compared to other products on the market?

Meadows (1983) states " consumers are not just passive recipients of brand marketing activity, and thus branding is not something done to consumers, but rather something they do things with". When a brand asserts its personality, consumers will assess the fit between the personalities of the

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brand and the personality they wish to project. In his book, Gob cites the example of Quiksilver as a brand which has a clear personality and communicates that to the consumer, through the music in it's stores, the dcor and it's salespeople - who all speak the same language - the customer's. The aim of a brand is ultimately to occupy a space in the consumer's mind which is connected to psychological values as opposed to functional needs. Brands have been referred to by some as "unique clusters of values" and brand positioning therefore, can be considered the psychology of the relationship between the consumer and a brand. Gob believes that companies need to view their products and services as an opportunity to develop an experience for consumers in order to move as far away as possible from the functional aspect of a product or service. According to this philosophy, he states that "products fill needs, experiences fill desires". Therefore a product that makes an emotional connection and impression will continue to draw consumer interest above and beyond need. This view may seem obvious to those in the business of branding, however, the question remains as to how firms manage to forge a relationship with their consumers that taps into this. Think of the particular and distinct anticipation of benefit evoked by such brand names as James Bond, Apple and Mercedes. From this standpoint, a marketer can claim ownership of a brand only if his target consumers attribute to his product and/or service the ability of consistently delivering (exclusively, if possible) a certain desired experience or a beneficial result. The more motivating and unique is the expected benefit - the stronger the desire and the more lasting the preference. An anticipation of benefit will not last if not consistently fulfilled. Branding is the creation of a system of both arousing anticipation for and providing fulfilment of, brand benefits. The 'Emotional Brands' arouse feelings in consumers because they are instrumental psychologically or socially. These are Psychological uses. Consumers also use products and services to convey: - Certain personality traits ('conscientious', 'up-datedness'...) - Linkage to specific Social stereotypes ('yuppie', 'intellectual, 'bohemian')

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- Belonging to particular groups - Having a Social role - Having a socio-economic status - A certain level of sophistication and refinement - Having certain tastes and preferences, etc In order to comply with a norm and / or to manage other people's impressions influencing their attitudes; - To express emotions - To create an atmosphere and to evoke emotions - To create shared experiences, meanings and rituals These are Social and interacting uses. In some cases, Psychological or Social instrumentality is the intrinsic, core benefit of the product or service (e.g. psychotherapy, motivational books, and gifts). Destining brands to be instrumental psychologically or socially is a strategic option. This means of course, designating the brand for a specific function based on one of the options listed above and having a specific content. It is gaining insight into what consumers are trying to accomplish psychologically or socially, that presents us with opportunities to shape brands for psychological or social gratification.

2.7 Light in Films

Lighting is an essential component of visually rich cinematographic images. However, the common computer graphics light source models, such as a cone shaped spotlight, are not versatile enough for cinematographic-quality lighting. From the beginning of film history, it was all about a question of getting enough light for exposure. The first studios based themselves on windows with real daylight. Hollywood was built on one of the sunniest places in the USA. The electrical lights got bigger, and so did the powersupply. The studios became closed dark rooms. They could start to control the light, the artificial

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light. Expressionism with films like the Cabinet of Dr.Caligari (1919) or Metropolis, gave the DOP's new possibilities to express themselves with hard light, with contrast and long shadows. Different lighting-styles became an important part of the film-language. The films became signed by a certain expression. Hollywood took this even further with the Film-noir films of the 40s and early 50s. To get enough light to the object, they developed light-fixtures with a reflector and a lens, to concentrate and control the light. The light could be placed further away from the object, without loosing it's intensity. This light worked almost like a slide-projector, the light-source is small compared to the object. This kind of lighting gives hard shadows. The films at this time, were intended to look "lighted". The technical limitation became a creative style. But natural light contains more than hard light.

Origins of Motion Picture Lighting Historically, motion picture lighting has gone through a number of periods. At first it was purely functional. The low speed of the film and the lenses together with lack of high-power, controllable light sources made it a necessity to just pour as much light as possible onto the scenes. As a result, most films were filmed outdoors in broad daylight. When Technicolor was introduced, expressive lighting, but black-and-white films still continued to use lighting creatively and effectively. But all of this is more that just visual style: it is inherently a part of the storytelling, an integral narrative device. One of the highlights of lighting as storytelling is the era of film noir: American films of forties and fifties, primarily in the mystery, suspense and detective genres, nearly all of them in blackand-white. The noir genre is best known for its low-key lighting style: side light, chiaroscuro, shadowy (Figure 1). This was, of course, only one of the various elements of visual style: they also used angle, composition, lighting, montage, depth and movement in expressive new ways. Many factors came together to influence this style: technical innovations such as faster, finer grained black-and-white negative, faster lenses, smaller, more mobile camera dollies, cameras light enough to hand-hold and portable power supplies, all perfected during World War II, alleviated many of the logistical problems previously connected with location filming.

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(Figure 1) The black-and-white noir period is one of the highest achievements of film lighting as a story element this frame from Mildred Pierce (Warner Bros., 1945)

Light as Storytelling The purposes of lighting for cinematography are to contribute to the storytelling, mood, and image composition, and to direct the viewers eye. The practical light sources on a real-world movie set, such as desk or ceiling lamps, are rarely major contributors to the illumination. Instead, various types of lamps and spotlights are placed off-camera, in order to create the desired illumination effect. A lighting designer will use whatever techniques, tricks, and cheats are necessary, such as: suspending a cloth in front of a light to soften shadows; positioning opaque cards or graded filters to shape a light; focusing a narrow tickler light to get an extra highlight; or hiding a light under a desk to fill in dark areas under a characters chin.

The art of cinematography is the art of lighting

and making that light tells the story.

Stephen H. Burum, ASC (Apocalypse Now, Carlito's Way, Mission Impossible, Body Double, Life or Something Like It, etc.).

Lighting is a key element of storytelling in films. Light has a great power to form space. Clearly the light represents knowledge, the illuminating power of the great mystery of the universe, but it is not just a symbol it tells the story itself. Like a painting, film is sensual too, so we can't say it's the only sensual experience. So is music, so is architecture, so is sculpture. So that's not a definition. Drama, play writing, is also live. Film is distinctive because of its nature, of its being able to cut through time with editing. Montage can create a three-dimensional space, a threedimensional aura, great sensuality. There's an electrical thing about movies. And I've noticed it, because I've written a lot of things that I've been able to direct and see how it works, and I am amazed constantly. That's part of the reason I'm fascinated by the process.(Oliver Stone, Director of JFK). Often something that will work on paper does not work when we see it on film.

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It sounds like a contradiction, but sometimes stuff that isn't so great on paper will be dynamite, it will be electric, because something -- the look of an actor, the sensuality of a touch, the caress, an angle, the camera catches the light in a certain moment of time and it's just, what he called, magic. So those are elements that are very electric, stormy.

Light as Visual Metaphor A more recent example, a film that uses light as a metaphor and as storytelling perhaps better than any other of the modern era: Barry Levinsons The Natural. Masterfully photographed by Caleb Deschanel, the film is so visually unified and well thought out that it would be possible to comment on the metaphoric or narrative use of lighting in almost every scene. The Natural is the tale of a talented young baseball player Roy Hobbes (Robert Redford) who is diverted from his career by a chance encounter with a dark and mysterious young lady, but makes a comeback years later as he simultaneously finds love with his long lost childhood sweetheart. It is a story of good versus evil in the classic senses and Levinson and Deschanel use a wide variety of cinematic and narrative devices to tell it. (Figure 2) The opening shot from The Natural a faceless character lost somewhere in the light and the dark, suspended in time: the past is uncertain and the future is unclear. This purgatory of being caught between them establishes the mood and tone of uncertainty and conflict between two worlds that is carried through the rest of the film. (The Natural, Tri-star Pictures/RCA/ Columbia, 1984)

(Figure 3) They are silhouetted on a ridge against a glowing ultramarine blue sky which represents night and the temptations of eros. It is completely unnatural but beautiful and perfectly portrays their mental state. They are young and innocent, but their purity is disrupted when they meet in the blue

29

moonlight and make love. Here and in his love tryst with Memo Paris (Figure 6) blue represents the danger of succumbing to temptation. Light and Shadow Good and Evil It is here that he first sees the woman who is to bring evil and temptation into his life The Lady In Black (Figure 4), who we first see in silhouette and from the back. Usually portrayed backlit or in shadow, as befits her evil nature, she invites him to her hotel room, shoots him and then jumps to her death, ending his baseball hopes.

(Figure 4) The Lady In Black the temptation that leads to Roys downfall. She is always lit dimly and is somewhat shadowy an ephemeral figure; in this shot underlit for a mysterious look.

(Figure 5) The Judge, the most elemental evil in the film, claims to abhor sunlight he stays always in the dark; only a few meagre slits of light manage to seep into his darkened den.

(Figure 6) As Roy begins to fall victim to the temptations of fame and the glamour of the big city, he once again is silhouetted in dark blue even the car headlights seem to be glowering at him as he falls for the seductive Memo Paris.

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(Figure 7) As the team is losing and Roy is striking out, Iris stands up. Her translucent white hat is backlit by a single shaft of sunlight, making her appear angelic. The angelic glow makes her hat a halo to supplement the white dress and the standing pose. To reinforce the lighting effect, she is surrounded by men only, all in dark clothes and hats.

(Figure 8) The light itself manages to obscure the Judges eyes and partly disguise his evil. This is appropriate as he appears here not as the intimidating force of evil but as a silky voiced cajoler.

Levinson and Deschanel make the most of and add extra layers of meaning onto a great story, a great script and a superlative cast. In this particular film, light is used as a metaphor and a very clear and sustained way. In most films, lighting is a part of storytelling in more limited and less overtly metaphorical ways, but it can always be a factor in underlying story points, character and particularly the perception of time and space. Filmmakers who take a rejectionist attitude toward lighting are depriving themselves of one of the most important, subtle and powerful tools of visual storytelling. Those who reject lighting are often those who least understand its usefulness and eloquence as a cinematic tool.

2.8 Light in Design

Light is much more than something that allows us to see. It defines space, creates atmosphere, sets the mood by which we live and evoke our emotions. The man-made artefacts in our environment, from buildings and products to communication networks and transport systems, are created with sensorial qualities in mind. Sensory stimulation is a key element in determining our

31

experience of the world. Whether interior designers, product designers or architects, light has always been an important tool that allows them to work creatively and provides a great benefit to the emotional aspect as well. As new technologies providing new sensorial qualities emerge, it become incorporated into our culture and can have an impact both on how we experience our environment and on how we interact with it. The experience of walking among the dazzling glass towers of New York is radically different to that of walking among the stone buildings of medieval town. The introduction of plastic into our production processes led to a whole new category of cheap and disposable products, but also to objects that were comfortable, hygienic, flexible and more durable. Light makes objects visible and is itself made visible by objects. Thus light visually reveals the world around us, to those of us for whom vision is the primary way of understanding and orienting ourselves with our environment, for as Oliver Sacks says

We, born with a full complement of senses and correlating these one with the other, create a sight world from the start, a world of visual objects and concepts and meanings.

Lighting can be used as a means to convey and enhance the meaning of the architecture, as for instance the spirituality of a church. The same space could look festive or somber by the use of different types of lighting. Lighting can add excitement and drama to the built environment. It can create illusions.

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Architectural lighting effects created by laser technology

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Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana, USA

Maryhill lock, Glasgow, Scotland

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Northwest Airlines terminal at Detroit Metro Airport, USA

Heineken Experience, Amsterdam, Holland

The flagship Nike store in London, UK.

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Morimoto Restaurant, Philadelphia, PA, USA

It is sight, sound, touch, taste, feel, texture, colour, motion, emotion and everything in between that have a role to play in helping establish, create and develop a branded image. Today, advances in lighting design technology are solving old problems and offering many new options for designers to achieve their ideas. Good lighting draws attention to projects and plus customers at ease. Many companies have realized that branding through lighting design technology is extremely important, what with a lot of money being spent, as is positioning that brand in the marketplace. More recently, high-tech combinations of materials have resulted in clothing that regulates body temperature, toothbrushes with composite ergonomic handles and car seats that mould themselves to the shape of our bodies. These developments affect all of our senses, from sight to smell, sometimes obviously and sometimes in a more subtle, peripheral way. Designing with cool light became possible only in 1996 when Japanese manufacturer Nichia announced that it would make commercially available a phosphor that would emit blue light. Until then, researchers had successfully recreated just red and green light. By combining blue with red and green, it was at last possible to create white light, which is far more useful for architectural and product design.

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37

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3 The Key Question

Through the literature and case study that there are only limited resources drawing correlations between the use of light in design and branding. However, after exploring many areas of product design and branding texts a relationship between the senses and design is evident. This implies that the areas of branding and design are gradually becoming aware of the need to connect with consumers on a higher level. It is essential to elicit answers for a number of related sub-questions that support the main key question. Through an investigation into how consumers regard light, to consider whether the user identifies the light as a part of the product or brand experience, and how the implications for the design and branding strategy will be considered through the questions outlined below:

Can consumers recognize a product through its light brand? Can light be a key product and brand differentiator? Why use light? How should light be used? Where does light fit in design process? Who is responsible for light design?

These six questions support the key question for this dissertation, which is:

How can light be effectively implemented in branding?

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4 Methodology
The objective for this research project is to try and discover the possibilities of lighting effect can be a key product and brand differentiator. 4.1 Research methods Literature Review Observations Interviews Questionnaire

4.1.1 Literature Review The literature review established the areas of finding, assessing and communicating were recognised features of designing with light. A wide ranging with the main purpose being to find a variety of products in industry, the perceived challenges and opportunities looking to the future and new technologies and methods that will be required to meet the possibility of light branding. A range of material was used to investigate the light and branding areas. Sources used included publish books, journals and magazines as well as online information from the internet. Some of the incomprehensible references prompted a number of visits to The British Library. The literature survey conducted highlighted the areas where research into the use of light has been applied. Whilst the literature survey focused attention on the justification of light as an emotional tool, that provides a connection to a product or brand. Moreover, some figures and data were collected through this research method. The purpose of this research method is to discover the area of how far the uses of light have been developed in the areas such as technology, art and design. And more in-depth research of how light can create an emotional connection with customers and evoke their awareness of the brand. Hopefully to find an insight into the possibility of how light can add an extra value by creating a strong and memorable lighting symbol. 4.1.2 Observations A major advantage of this observational method lies in the ability to gain the real physical viewing of the subject. The emphasis of observations was to clarify the approaches of product and

40

lighting effect and to validate the perception of the differences and in particular the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. Industry observations were carried out at many different locations from small shops to air ports in Europe. I am aware of the potential disadvantage of observation in that they can be subjective. So observations were selected on the basis of the questionnaire responses where I wished to clarify and elaborate. The observations were used to give greater depth to the study and to enhance the reliability and validity of the research project. 4.1.3 Interviews via E-mail This method is to gain experts opinions from industry by e-mail interviews. Because of the time, place and contact information limits of this research project would not guarantee all information can be collected in time. Jennifer Duke was the only person I managed to interview in person at the New Designers 03 show. As a result seven companies were contacted by e-mail but only three of them replied with different point of views about this project. It was just relevant to discover which industry is keener on developing the use of light compared to those who were not. There are five e-mails were received from the three companies. The people interviewed were: Tim Becker Founder of Fluid Lighting Design, New York, USA Sophia Wang Manager of Sun-Ling Lighting Ltd., TAIWAN Greg Rowland Owner of Greg Rowland Ltd. (Semiotics for Brands), UK Jennifer Duke Student of Furniture Design, University of Northumbria, UK 4.1.4 Questionnaires The method decided upon was a questionnaire which could be filled in without supervision, simple to answer as well as distributed and returned easily. The questionnaire was distributed to 30 people with their comments, criticisms and responses noted, these comments were fed into the some significant bullet points in my research. As a final analyze, the result were also assessed and found to be close to those anticipated. The questionnaires were given through to my classmates, friends and some contacts from the internet. The following points were set as a brief for the questionnaire. 1. Would you be pleased if your mobile phone or other stuff has a special nice lighting design on it?

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2. What sort of products would you like to see having embedding lighting design, whether in functional or in aesthetic aspect? 3. Can you differentiate the different brand by its light? (e.g. supermarket, mobile phone, building, computer, speaker, movie, clothes, shop and so on.) 4. Can light evoke the emotional connection between you and a brand or a product? 5. Any other ways you might wish to use the light? 6. Which notebook brand image is the most recognisable and the least recognisable from the pictures below? (1.IBM 2.COMPAQ 3.DELL 4.APPLE)

1.

2.

3.

4.

7.

Which supermarket sign is the most memorable/appealing to you?

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Process of research methods

Literature Research

Key Issues Defined

Primary Research (Interview/ Questionnaire)

Information Flow

Secondary Research (Literature)

Analysis of Findings

Conclusions

Recommendations

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5 Findings in the Literature

5.1 Case Study 1 Apple was awarded the "Brand of the Year" in 2001. The overwhelming presence of Apple comes through in everything they do. It's a really powerful brand. There are 25 million people around the world who use Macintosh computers, according to Apple. But unlike ordinary personal computers, people don't simply use Macs, they become fans. They develop a passion for the machines, which can sometimes turn into an obsession. Mac loyalty is so well-known, it's a clich. Mac users are routinely referred to as Apple's faithful, Mac zealots, members of the cult of Mac, Appleholics, Macheads, Maccies, Macolytes and Mac addicts. The Mac community is arguably the largest subculture in computing. Mac enthusiasts -- as a group -- are probably more loyal; more dedicated than users of any other computer, perhaps even Linux. Linux and Unix users are, in fact, switching to Macs in droves. People always ask marketers why Mac users are so loyal, and they all cite the same reason: Apple's brand. Apple, of course, is known an archetypal emotional brand. It's not just intimate with its customers; it is loved. Other examples are automaker Lexus, retailer Target and outdoor clothing line Patagonia. "Apple is about imagination, design and innovation," said Mark Gobe author of Emotional Branding. Apple abandoned the old rainbow-hued Apple logo in favour of a minimalist monochrome one, gave its computers a funky, colourful look, and streamlined the messages in its advertising. It's done wonders. The Apple logo has long been an essential tool for enabling customers to identify Maccompatible hardware and software products. Apple's computers have always been sleeker than most of the competition. But the smallest of the company's PowerBook G4 models takes the idea of computer as art form further than before. This piece of hardware verges on beautiful, with its matte silver finish and an arresting glowing Apple shape logo on the lid. The glowing Apple logo has the most eye-catching brand identity among all the computer notebooks. Even in the famous American TV drama Sex and the City, when columnist Carrie Bradshaw is reading her column

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on her screen: we immediately recognize the brand by the ghost white glowing Apple logo on the back of the computer screen. Furthermore, the human touch is expressed in Apples recent product innovation. Apple used fiber-optic technology to illuminate the keyboard from the bottom rather than trying to shine a light down onto the keys. So user can see the keyboard legends easily even in such low-light situations as on a plane, in a lecture hall, or in a video editing studio. People can activate and adjust the illumination them self, or let the computer control it with its embedded ambient light sensor. "People are anxious and confused". "Todays technology is accelerating faster and faster than we can keep up with. People need to find some grounding, that human touch, the leading hand. There's a need to recreate tribes that give people a grounding." said Gobe. Macintosh computers are legendary for bringing a human face to technology. Cutting edge product design, extraordinary technological innovation, and legendary ease of use have made Mac the platform of choice for people all over the world who think and work creatively. Gobe also noted that Apple has always projected a human touch -- from the charisma of Steve Jobs to the notion that its products are sold for a love of technology. Apple at long last regained its swing and its reputation for daring to be different, as its ads proclaimed. And undoubtedly, all combined radical styling and flash with the technological innovation of illuminated keyboard have made the brand Apple Apple! According to Mark Gobe, emotional brands have three things in common: 1. The company projects a humanistic corporate culture and a strong corporate ethic, characterized by volunteerism, support of good causes or involvement in the community. Apple comes across as profoundly humanist. Its founding ethos was power to the people through technology, and it remains committed to computers in education. "It's always about people". 2. The company has a unique visual and verbal vocabulary, expressed in product design and advertising: This is true of Apple. Its products and advertising are clearly recognizable.

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3. The company has established a "heartfelt connection" with its customers. This can take several forms, from building trust to establishing a community around a product. In Apple's case, its products are designed around people: "Take the glowing Apple logo, the light brings an emotional, sensory experience to computing," Gobe said. "Apple's design is people-driven." "It's like having a good friend," Gobe said. That's what's interesting about this brand. Somewhere they have created this really humanistic, beyond-business relationship with users and created a cult-like relationship with their brand. It's a big tribe, everyone is one of them. You're part of the brand.

5.2 Findings from the Questionnaires

The following section collates the information from the questionnaires, which was carried out through my primary research. The questionnaires were distributed to twenty respondents, and their responses have been tabulated below. The findings have been sectioned up into light and colour in both design and branding. The graph below illustrates the responses when participants were asked to recognise a brand through its light and colour identity in a slightly dimmed room. The results outline that all the respondents identified the Apple brand through is glowing Apple shape logo. More than 70% of the participants that identified the Compaq brand by its red logotype on a white background. About half of the participants could recognize the Dell brand. Only 20% of them were able to recognize the IBM product at first sight.

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120 100 80 60 40 20 0
Light Branding 4 Notebooks Brand Recognition Graph
IBM DELL APPLE COMPAQ

5.3 The Initial Impact of Light

The graph below represents the three supermarkets brand recognition rate through the first impact of light received. The three pictures showed to the twenty respondents were not all taken in the same period of time. It is because of the ASDA signboard does not have a light to brighten it at night. Therefore, the photo had to be taken under the natural daylight, which is a good comparison with the other two. The result shows that more than 80% participants have a stronger first impact on Sainsburys bight orange signboard. About 70% of them felt the TESCO red and blue signboard gave them a strong impact at first sight. There is a considerable distinction between TESCO and ASDA the two lower priced supermarkets. Only less than half of them have the impact on single colour green signboard of ASDA.

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The information relating to the impact of the light that supermarket signboard has been represented in visual form. The graph also shows the respondents which signboard has more impact on the brightness of the colour and light. However, some respondents may have chosen answers at random. It can be seen from the graph that Sainsburys signboard has the highest level of impact on people.

100 80
Sainsbury's

60
TESCO

40 20 0

ASDA

Supermarket Signboard The Initial Impact of Light Graph

5.4 Case Study 2

Colour. It is one of the first things that anyone finds a favourite of. It can negatively or positively affect our emotional state, swinging us to aggression or calm without graphic imagery, audible sound or additional stimuli. Colour says more about a person's priorities than almost any other visible choice. It covers our clothes, walls, furniture, and of course, our automobiles. Ford is now taking the art of colour and light to a more intense level with a concept car that uses LED lights to change body panel colours, intensity and frequency, all in the name of safety and

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user preferences. Fords Brand Imaging Group showed the GloCar, a translucent concept vehicle intended to push the boundaries of automotive design and predict the future of consumer needs in the National Design Triennial: Inside Design Now, on display at New York's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in May, 2003. Something like this revolutionary couldn't just use conventional hardware to move it along, so Ford took the opportunity to incorporate its co-developed fuel cell drive train. It also makes use of lightweight materials such as aluminium, comprising its space frame, extrusions and castings. The GloCar is built around a lightweight aluminium space frame with aluminium extrusions and castings. It is powered by fuel cell technology. Of course, aluminium is completely recyclable making the GloCar more environmentally friendly than cars made of steel. The same can be said of its lack of paint. Pollutant producing paint processes are eliminated, reducing environmental damage at the factory level. Nearly 100 years ago, Henry Ford let his colour preference be known with the legendary quote: You can have any colour as long as its black. Launched in the spring of 2002, GloCar challenges the icon by being any colour except black. Clad in injection-moulded translucent plastic panels, it uses LED lights to change the body panel colour, intensity and frequency in response to safety conditions and user preferences. The driver can either stand out or blend in. The customizable GloCar was designed to be safe, fun and evoke emotion. The soft glowing panels serve as a safety feature to make you very visible at night, said Laurens van den Acker, chief designer at Fords Brand Imaging Group. The rear panel doubles as a brake light, and the side panels as blinkers. When somebody comes too close, the panels increase in intensity, signalling the driver to keep a distance.

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Specifications: Body Type: 4-door sedan Layout: front engine, FWD Engine: hybrid electric-fuel cell Seating Capacity: 4

GloCar came about after extensive socio-cultural and technological trend research. The research determined five scenarios of the future: the unfolding universe, the mosaic society, the experiential society, the sustainable society and the caring society. These scenarios were used to anticipate future consumer needs and provide solutions for new challenges the automotive industry might face, said van den Acker. The intended user is always the end user the customer. Based on the scenarios, designers explored possible trends. Among the most important were safety and sustainability. Sixty percent of accidents happen at intersections at night. Being seen is a key in avoiding this. It allows the car to be seen from all angles, not just headlights and

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taillights. In addition, the GloCar can potentially eliminate the need for vehicle paint, thus eliminating waste as well as reducing complexity at the manufacturer by making only one version of the vehicle. The ecological and bottom line benefits might be obvious, but the positive social impact of the GloCar is also important. The GloCar projects an image of concern, safety, intelligence and lightness and takes the car from an aggressor to a protector, said van den Acker. Imagine hundreds of GloCars, brightening up a city. It shows a future where cars become more intelligent and optimistic.

Approximately 30% of all vehicles sold around the globe are painted some shade of silver. Just the same some automakers offer a wide palette of shades and colours for each model, others only a narrow assortment. Some premium marques even allow prospective owners to choose a custom

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hue direct from the factory - for a fairly steep fee. But now there is a new idea that could, albeit not too soon, remove the colour argument from the auto-purchasing scenario. A new concept arrives more vibrant than anything preceding. LED lights change the colour, intensity and frequency of the Ford GloCar's injection-moulded translucent plastic body panels. While the ability to choose an exterior colour to match the outfit may sound enticing, it actually offers more practical applications too. For instance, try to miss it at night. According to research, over 60% of MVAs occur in the dark at stop signs or traffic lights. No matter what colour its driver chooses, the GloCar literally glows when the sun is beyond the horizon, allowing it to be seen for miles. If it's immediately noticeable, it's less likely to be hit by an otherwise unobservant driver. According to van den Acker, "The GloCar projects and image of concern, safety, intelligence and lightness and takes the car from an aggressor to a protector." Such statements aren't off the cuff, but the result of extensive social and ecological trend research. In the end Ford's Brand Imaging Group determined five future scenarios: 1. The unfolding universe 2. The mosaic society 3. The experiential society 4. The sustainable society 5. The caring society.

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5.5 Most Popular Car Colours 2002

Percentage of vehicles manufactured during 2002 model year in North America

According to many car dealers, it is more proof positive that many consumers are consumed with their cars, fretting over all the details, especially when it comes to colour. It's a trend that can be traced through the decades. "When you go back to the heritage of colours of the '50s, we saw a lot of pastels. We were over the post-war syndrome and things were on the upswing, and those sort of candy-soft pastel colours were a sign of the times," said Robert S. Daily, Colour Marketing Manager. Through my case study I came across a study indicates that car colours still reflect the mood of the nation and the personality of the driver. The current most popular colour to cruise in is silver. The car expert said that psychiatrists who analyzed the car colour choices of 1,000 motorists

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revealed that drivers of silver cars tend to have great style, are often successful and a bit pompous, according to the study. The study claims that drivers of white cars, 15 percent of the study group, are "methodical and fussy." Other findings: Brown car drivers tend to be "mean, cautious and conservative." Green car drivers are "traditional." Black car drivers are "ambitious." Blue car drivers tend to be "consistent, conservative and shy." Red car drivers are "outgoing, impulsive and easily bored."

Out of this research came the conclusion that the most important consumer priorities are safety and sustainability, and the GloCar could be the direct result.

Does your car colour reflect your personality?

60 50 40 30 20

YES NO

Percentage of 744 Votes ( http://www.nbc5.com/index.html )

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6 Discussion
In this section, the consumers perception of light as a branding and product design tool will be examined. And the findings in this section illustrated from the consumer survey, observations and literature review will also be highlighted against the key questions and discussed. The key question emerged as: How can light be effectively implemented in branding? The six issues below have thus been used to frame the key question, which are: Can consumers recognize a product through its light brand? Can light be a key product and brand differentiator? Why use light? How should light be used? Where does light fit in design process? Who is responsible for light design?

This section of the discussion will examine the consumers perception of light as a branding and product design tool.

6.1 Can consumers recognize a product through its light brand? Some companies like Apple, Ford and the some major mobile phone companies have started to develop light branding identities. The question is whether consumers are able to recognise and remember the product or brand the glowing visual logo promotes. In order to determine an answer to this question the primary research explored the use of light branding by computer notebook manufacturers, IBM, DELL, APPLE and COMPAQ. The use of light branding as part of a computer notebooks lid is still not fully functional, it indicates that the electric power is on or is off and also communicates the brand of computer that

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the owner has. For the purpose of this research project the recognition of brand logo and brand name perceived level was investigated. The results relating to the recognition of the design of notebooks lid indicated a number of points: Immediately, the only glowing logo drew the attention of people. The recognition level was higher if the brand logotype has a bigger, brighter colour design and a more distinctive shape. Respondents aged between 20 and 35 had the highest level of recognition of brands. Not surprisingly, APPLE G4 PowerBook stood out from the field as the most recognisable brand. The darker and the flatter design had the lower recognition.

These findings corroborate the fact that consumers are able to recognise notebook computer brands through the lid design. Though only if they have had experiences with the brand where the elements are necessary for recollection, the visual logo, were present. The research also explored how the respondents rated the quality of the APPLE computers visual communication design in product. Its not easy being Apple Computer. They toil for decades to build a brand, turning the simple curvy logo into an icon of humanizing technology and creative exuberance. It is evident that there is an opportunity for a high quality-lighting embedded product to enter the market. The brands that did not receive high recognition votes do not indicate the cheaper or lower quality brands. Apple is always known for its high quality product design and innovation, where the design has a vital important role in their brand. Apple gave the creativities what people want. It won the hearts of computer-using aesthetes by rejecting the mediocrity of the beige box, producing hardware that pushed the boundaries of product design.

6.2 Can light be a key product and brand differentiator? In todays fast-moving consumer goods markets, brands are developed by manufacturers in order to compete more effectively. Brands created by manufacturers have value in competitive markets because of their role in the consumer's decision-making process.

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As Fill (1995) points out, brands may develop personalities and encapsulate the core values of a product. A brand image can be understood as a "subset of highly salient associations stored in schemas" (Hoyer and MacInnis, 1997). Research into brand communications in marketing also includes the concept of signals, or "cues", which consumers use to evaluate the offerings before them and make their choice. A distinction is sometimes made between intrinsic cues, such as flavour, texture or appearance, and extrinsic cues, such as the brand, the pack and the price. Zeithaml (1988) discusses the circumstances in which the one type will be more important to consumers than the other. Significantly for the present area of interest, extrinsic cues may be more important for initial purchase by unfamiliar consumers, while intrinsic cues will matter more at the point of consumption, for example in a point-of-purchase sample. Intrinsic cues will also be important at the point of purchase if the cue can be perceived before purchase and the customer has the necessary familiarity with the product to make this interpretation. This implies a consumer ability to recognize and interpret the cue, and this aptitude has value for the seller as well as the consumer. Achieving successful differentiation in any product field rests partly upon the creation of an adequate understanding among target consumers of what is being offered and why it should be chosen. Consumers' understanding of a product field affects the way in which products are chosen. Johnson and Russo (1984) found that product familiarity improved a consumer's ability both to absorb new information in evaluating product offerings and also to select important information in making a choice. Brucks (1985) found that prior knowledge facilitated the acquisition of new information and also made the search process more efficient (for example by helping the individual to formulate and ask questions).

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Alba and Hutchinson (1987), in a review of the literature on consumer expertise, distinguish familiarity (the number of product-related experiences accumulated) from expertise (the ability to perform product-related tasks effectively). Generally, greater product familiarity is positively associated with greater product expertise, which may be evident, for example, in more refined and complete cognitive structures, or in greater ability to process and elaborate on information provided. In terms of specialist food products, the signals provided by the producer about the product will be more effective if a consumer can recognize them and relate them to some already-existing structure of understanding about the product and its field. The diagram below explains the process when perceiving a brand image.

IMAGE

Know what it is. Immediate impact

Simple, direct

Episodic Processing. Not rationally scrutinized

Engaging, involving

Convey mood, affect. Relate to character of image, personally experience Communicate associations, ideas, feelings and meaning linked to brand

Convey message

When evaluating the surveys it was seen that although the higher priced supermarket brand Sainsburys had the highest votes for the first visual impact in the sample. Their signboard interface area was lightened and covered by bright colour orange like a standing light box in the dark, which definitely gives people a very strong first visual impact. But there was only about 10% differentiation between TESCO. The consumer may feel what quality food they are

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purchasing by paying a higher price for their goods. As products become increasingly aligned in their offerings manufacturers and consumers alike will look for new ways to differentiate their visual image of the products. In comparison the findings showed that the image level of the initial impact for ASDA supermarket signboard was only 40%. The ASDA identity does not have any lighting support and the rather plain chosen colour, as part of the companies branding strategy indicating a lack of consideration. This indicates that when the visual logo is embedded within in the brand communication then recognition with consumers is inevitable.

High

Initial Impact

Low

Light is a medium which companies, providing either brand images or products, are able to use as a tool for communication. The benefits of light as a recognition tool were outlined in the literature survey. It was established that light builds an associative hierarchy with the product or brand. The designing with light influences design and branding strategy in a number of ways: Using light as a part of design concepts can decrease some industrial wastes, for example the Ford GloCar which does not need many paints for its design. Designing with light can enrich a brand identity and develops an emotional connection with a customer in related to effective brand strategy.

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BRAND IDENTITY

Brand as Product Product attributes / Quality / Value / Uses / Users

Brand as Symbol Visual imagery / metaphors

VALUE PROPOSITION Functional benefits Emotional benefits Self-expressive benefits

BRANDCUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP

6.3 Why use light?

We, born with a full complement of senses and correlating these one with the other, create a sight world from the start, a world of visual objects and concepts and meanings Oliver Sacks Everything that we perceive creates an emotional reaction. Everything we look at, we "see" because "light" is bouncing off of each object and then that light enters our eyes. The retina processes that light and through chemical and electrical messages, a picture is produced in our brains. Sensory perceptions are unique to each of us, as memories are. We experience powerful stimulations from them. Light can have a strong impact on those who experience it. It has a very

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strong spiritual connotation for many people. Therefore, the opportunity of brand building by light is wide open. Light is not so much something that reveals, as it is itself the revelation. James Turrell So, how do brands achieve emotional significance? The first point to realize is that consumers' feelings are not really related towards the brand itself. Let us not be confused. The only emotions that brands evoke in consumers result from anticipating the benefit. The reason for this is not shrouded in some kind of mystique. It is the very nature of the human emotional system. Humans experience positive / negative emotions, respectively, whenever perceiving anything, including a brand, as bringing them closer to / pushing them away from, their goals (for people benefit when realizing their goals). There are many aspects of light. Light in its basic sense, is a form of energy, transmitted as means as particles that move as sinusoidal waves. Light is a language in itself, encompassing the entire field of human emotions - it can be harnessed to soothe, excite, enhance, inspire, befriend, create a sense of community. And the most amazing thing about the light is it can be used in variety of applications. Light, in design, as elsewhere, has the potential for wide-ranging effects on our emotions, as mentioned in the literature review earlier. LIGHT = LIFE Light adds form and colour to our existence. That implies that a change in the character of light changes the way we view the world. Light even affects our hormonal balance, and with it our mood. Daylight varies continuously in intensity, colour and direction; shadows vary in depth and contrast. The qualitative values of artificial light are also diverse and depend on the lamps and fixtures employed. Light colour, spatial arrangement, intensity and contrast can, in the correct balance, evoke feelings of comfort and pleasure, they can also enhance sales and work results. LIGHT = ENERGY Light radiates through space as waves of electromagnetic energy, emanating from rapidly vibrating particles in the same source. Visible radiation creates impressions of colour, depending on it's wavelength. It is converted to heat after absorption.

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LIGHT = EMOTION We are born with the ability to react emotionally to everything that we see around us. The brain is a factory of emotions. The virtual reality we perceive outside of us is creating emotions inside of us all the time. All the emotions we experience existed before we knew what they were, before we put names to them. LIGHT = PERCEPTION The only radiation that we see as light is that in the band of wavelengths between 380 and 780 nanometres. The sensory cells on our retina contain a sensitive matter that is destroyed by the incoming light beams. This change delivers the stimulus necessary to deliver an impulse via the optic-nerve to the brain. The two separate, slightly different images that we perceive by the left and the right eye, are united in the optic centre of the brain to form a stereoscopic image. Without light there is no visual perception, no clarity, no depth, no colour. LIGHT = COLOUR Physically one can postulate that there is an infinite range of colours; but the human eye is not capable of differentiating all possible wavelength combinations as separate colours. The retina contains two kinds of light receptors, one of which (the cones) are highly sensitive to one of three different colours (green, red or blue). All other colours are built up from these primary colours. LIGHT = ART Light is forever bound with the arts. Poets, authors and painters have marvelled at the natural light and attempted to capture the constant changes in colour impressions in words and paint. Those who can not see poetry in the light, can never see poetry in their surroundings. Light, is an emotional medium, therefore, visual communication enables people to convey deep emotional feelings that light evoke or reminds them of. Think of the time if you were in New York City during the Blackout, what emotional memories does it bring back and what image does it evoke? Visual stimulus is a powerful medium, which can communicate with greater effect the requirements for end products. In an age where consumers are buying into the emotional values of products, designers need to gain a greater understanding of consumer needs.

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6.4 How should light be used?

Gob acknowledges that many marketers create a visual experience for the consumer, however all too often this is based on the need for visibility and does not take fully into account the sensory experiences that the consumer will appreciate. However, there is more to it than that. In order to create an identity - connect with the consumer, brands need to develop a personality so that a relationship can be created as a logical extension of the brand personality. Is it possible to portray a brand by simply designing a visual experience which connects with the consumer? Deconstructing the brand into a visual statement or logo, is clearly an over simplification of the issue, although for a well known brand, a strategically placed logo will add value and put the stamp of quality onto a product or service. Colours vary with flavour, and individual flavour colours stand out. A single brand colour is a key to create a unified block of branded colour "real estate." This type of brand gets noticed, found, cross-sold and remembered. Some companies have already embedded light in the products to connect with consumers. Foe example, the Motorola V. Series v8088, it combines high technology with high style. Users can find delight in this feature. The most unique design of this mobile phone is the v shaped light window lights up in different colours during an incoming call for easy identification of the caller. Different light colours can be customised for different callers in the phone memory. My choice of colours does not rest on any scientific theory; it is based on observation, on feeling, on the very nature of each experience. - Henry Matisse Understanding the nature of this light design motivation will provide device manufacturers, carriers, and content providers with information about what products need to be developed to serve consumer needs and wants.

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Throughout design history, we have been reminded that design was born out of the need to compensate for the absence of art in the forms of industrially produced products. Today, the objects of commercial output are often increasingly immaterial. In the past, it was always material that constrained the representation of ideas. This is no longer the case. With the onset of immateriality of the output, the medium is now becoming just as important as the idea itself. When most people think about fiber optics, they think of telephone or cable service and visualize a bundle of glass or plastic threads that transmit data at close to the speed of light. Unlike traditional light, which is created by heating an incandescent filament until it throws off lightproducing photons, so-called cool light, which is made by using natural light or electricity to "excite" molecular crystals embedded in luminescent pigments or special light-emitting diodes. It can be embedded into architectural materials such as fabric, glass, wood, acrylic, and plastic -creating new interfaces between the physical world and digital technology. "Cool light represents a new paradigm in illumination". "Its the end of bulb culture", said Kennedy Sheila (An architect and Harvard University professor). Designing with cool light became possible only in 1996 when Japanese manufacturer Nichia announced that it would make commercially available a phosphor that would emit blue light. Until then, researchers had successfully recreated just red and green light. By combining blue with red and green, it was at last possible to create white light, which is far more useful for architectural and product design. In the intervening years, most cool-light applications have focused on electronic devices, such as laptops and mobile phones. Kennedy and Violich are the first architects to embrace the technology as an integral part of building design. In Kennedy's perfect world, light will no longer be confined to lamps or ceiling fixtures. Instead, it will be integrated into futuristic touch screens to control home lighting and heating systems, walls, even fabric. For example, Kennedy and her team of designers have developed a chameleon cloth that will change colours based on the daily cycle of natural light or adjust to reflect the type of music playing in the room. The Italian fashion firm LUMINEX, also uses a new fabric (non reflective) that can emit its own light. It is created with threads of every type and nature and can emit light in different colours.

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After numerous attempts and experiments, it has finally been possible to integrate a luminous fibre into a fabric, giving it its own brilliance. The innovation can be used in the most diverse applications, from the most frivolous to the most useful, in a multitude of fields yet to be discovered. LUMINEX has successfully developed a series of light-clothes. So, dont be surprised when you walk into a room and see all the luminous objects and people.

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6.5 Where does light fit in design process?

Without doubt, light has always being a crucial element of designing interiors. Generally, products simply look better with attractive lighting. Furthermore, with the mere change of a bulb and flip of a switch, lighting can transform any interior. Lately, some landscape artists have already used the lighting design on some imposing buildings in branding the city skyline. Light needs to be managed carefully so that both the product and the brand convey the same message. If light is a powerful tool for a brand, so where does it fit in? Before determining how to develop a specification for light design it is necessary to define where light fits into the product design and branding process. Within the specification light will be identified as a key design element for consideration with its own requirements to fulfil, which would have been derived from the light research section. If a brand is promoting itself as a luxury product yet the product light cheap then there is dissonance in the branding and design strategies. Throughout the continuing design stages light will be considered and evaluated against the original specification. It will be necessary to produce fully operational models so that the lighting effect can be compared to the specification. The diagram below shows an overview of the design process.

Product Design Exploration

+
Light Design

Evaluation

In the exploration phase the gathering information from the target user group to find human needs, values and emerging sociocultural trends are the key inputs to design process that generates initial ideas for experience solutions which induce a sensory feeling. From skyscraper to store front signboard, Upstaging can add dramatic distinction to the building with the most advanced exterior theatrical lighting fixtures. Create eye-popping themed environments or high-tech products branding with special lighting effects. The market stage is the area where light should be inputted into the design process. The market stage is traditionally used for investigation and understanding

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of user needs. So there is still a place which designers can create environments to educate, market products, increase branding and awareness which will generate extraordinary results. At the exploration stage, there are a number of factors that are essential for the process. It is useful to investigate into consumers perception about the product. They also gave clues for the relative importance of other competitors products. Additional inspiration can also provided by research into broad topics such as space, time, perception, memory, emotion, communication, technology and entertainment. And a deeper understanding of the relationship between people and the product, as the foundation ingredients of any experience, in order to establish the context from which to develop design ideas into light branding concept. In the design stage, the focus is on developing and understanding potential cause and effect cycles and the experiential qualities of light-sensory input and out put from a mainly context-free perspective. Creative designers and lighting technical experts work closely together. Rapidprototyping is carried out with a focus on innovating in the realm of specific light elements. An experiential prototype is a working demonstration of a design concept where features and consumer behaviours are simulated. Such as prototypes serve as means of communication and dialogue about what concept does and how it might appear and be used were it to be developed for the market. This approach also needs to be evaluated. The objective of the evaluation could be twofold: To investigate whether the designed products would induce a light-sensorial feeling. To find out if the colours and light from the correspondence analysis are related to the concept designs that have been designed on the basis of those products. It is also very important to re-evaluate the outcome frequently to ensure that it conveys the desired brand values to the right audience.

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6.6 Who is responsible for light design?

Within the creative process, product designers (as artists) and lighting experts need to switch between and combine many different modes of communication, media, analogies and manufacture. This synthetic approach to creativity and finding ideas requires grate flexibility, but it has the benefit of providing the creative process with many tools as the lighting designer gains a better understanding of the project in question. Both product and lighting designers look for and use experience. But in this respect, productdesigners are divergent thinkers, whilst lighting-designers are convergent thinkers. A fuller understanding and the exploitation of the inter-dependencies of these two apparently conflicting processes, as presented in this hypothesis, could not only revolutionize the research and exploration of art and science, but also the manner in which engineering and art lead creative innovation within the business development process. Lighting designers background of scientific training is actually broader in comparison with the product designers that probably encompasse the solution to a given problem. Hence, as time progress, lighting designers become a bit more focused, enabling them to exclude certain options, so that the solution can be better defined. However the product designers approach appears very different. They focus on their experience of certain field. From this experience, they explore a number of solution propositions and representations. Consequently, they arrive at a position where a number of solutions are viable and the design and socio-cultural understanding id high. Both roles of product designer and lighting designer are equally important within the creative process, but both are insufficient alone. Furthermore, there is an important need for the overall design management to support and carry out the creative process. Within a small company the design manager would be responsible for all designs produced as part of the product, encompassing operational and feedback. The design manager would be accountable for embedding the use of light design to the product designers.

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In a large corporation, such as Ford, would have a position in lighting design manager. The lighting designer manager would be held responsible for ensuring that all lights were of the desired quality and transmitted key values. The lighting designers would respond directly to the lighting design manager who would then outline the design strategy.

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7 Conclusion
Senses hold the promise of a new era of personal empowerment. To understand it is a major step to enhancing our wellbeing that will have the most profound effects on society. Embracing senses is nothing short of breaking the code for the way we live. A holistic approach to the senses is a new way of living. The global embrace of senses may soon see the arrival of products that engage the consumer on several sensory levels. The age of the visual assault on our senses will be more soared, and multi-sensory experiences will play an important part of design and branding strategy. Consequently, marketers must become students of the emerging art and science of visual positioning to ensure that their brands present a consistent, compelling visual platform as a focus to their marketing messaging across media. And next to usages leading directly to experiential benefits (desired sensual or emotional experiences) and usages resulting in tangible benefits (desired effects in the physical world, including in one's body), consumer use products and services, To reassure themselves and relieve anxiety To bring about mood changes and a sense of being refreshed To encourage themselves and inspire optimism To cultivate motivation To strengthen their sense of self and invigorate self-image To reward themselves and to heighten self esteem To compensate themselves To obtain legitimization for certain demeanours and to strengthen self-confidence To internalize Social roles To assign personal meaning to certain dates, places and other components of the surrounding environment To support certain interpretations of reality (sometimes quite fictional) and self delusion To escape, take a break from both actual self and reality, and to experience emotions scarce in real life and fantasies that are impossible, dangerous or very costly to realize

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The consumer totally understands the brand's need to sell to them in order to make money and survive - but what of the consumer's needs? Increasingly, consumer needs should be analysed in order to account for changes in buying patterns. This involves segmenting the market and creating needs profiles which define and qualify them. Identifying and keeping up with key consumer drivers is a core need for any brand - established or not. The brand lifecycle needs to constantly be refreshed and regenerated in order to succeed - look at Nike and Levis, they have notoriety, but do they still posse preferential status? Market research can help companies expand their knowledge of how their brand is perceived by their consumers, and even more importantly, assess the psychological needs of their consumers to ensure they are meeting them. Using market research can also enable companies to effectively segment their market and communicate with their customers in each segment in a way that will enable their customers to identify with them more strongly.

BRAND

Product / Functional

Experimental / Sensory

Symbolic / Emotional

Enriched Brand Values

A process like the one presented in this report can support design decisions related to the feelings that are induced by a consumer product. It is important for a company that is changing to become more consumer oriented, to take feelings induced by design seriously. An additional advantage is that new product designs can be created by understanding the needs of potential users and their feelings, rather than starting from on technical innovation. New kinds of products might evolve from such a process.

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And involving users at an early stage of the process can increase the chance that consumer products will induce particular feelings for their users. It can clarify and deepen design briefs, so that a commissioner can define what he wants in a better way and the designer has a broad range of information and input regarding users and their feelings. To fully use this user input, the process of investigation and design should be iterative. Moreover, the collaboration between engineers and artists will too affect the process. 1. Only artists: Artists themselves have engineering knowledge and the ability to produce art work by adopting new technologies. 2. Artists and engineers: Artists present a new concept and engineers provide technologies to realize it. Thus, there is collaboration. 3. Engineers and designers: Engineers present a whole concept and Artists produce the art part of it. Thus, there is collaboration. 4. Only engineers type: Typical engineering research. The strategic innovation system can play a role; even through it was not designed specially for this purpose. Exploring user needs enables an organization to picture the people it intends to target. Experience creation, enabling new technologies to be modelled according to peoples expectations and behavioural patterns, also helps to educate people inside the organization. The exploration of the future is a great way to revitalize an organization and focus it on the future. The challenge is not only to bridge the acceptance gap between the inventors/consumers and the users/improvers, but also the acceptance gap within the organization between the inventors/consumers (technologists, designers, marketers) and their management. This is especially important in times like these, when managers have to make decisions increasingly quickly, on the basis of new criteria rather than established routines. The contributions that the findings from this dissertation can make to the world of designing with light are simple. Design has to be acknowledged for the role that it can play in transforming into a product, and also in communicating with customers. Although not every design concept is designed to eventually go into production. Like the idea of Ford GloCar, it proves that with its newest concept, the GloCar, a styling exercise that uses translucent panels and LED lighting to enable the car to change colours. Ford says the idea could eventually enable the company to stop

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painting cars entirely, and could make driving safer, since it says 60 percent of all traffic accidents happen in intersections at night. GloCar, is a feasible study or a wacky show car conceived by a group of designers and engineers gone mad? The Ford Brand Imaging Group seems to think that many of the GloCar's design elements could find their way into production Fords, enhancing the safety and sustainability of the cars we currently drive. Now if it only could change light colour in accordance with the mood swings of its driver, the GloCar would make it easier to pick out apathy behind the wheel, clueless day-dreaming and cases of potential road rage. It might even be able to eliminate driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. We might be onto something with this one Ford.

Light branding represents a new paradigm for the consumer products industry. I believe that this is opens up new opportunities to renew perspectives on innovation and to centre it on momentum management and sensory creation. What I have tried to make clear is that, particularly in design and technology companies, innovation and communication are increasingly inextricably linked on the route to success. The acceptance gaps between inventors/consumers and users/improvers, and between revolutionaries and managers, need to be bridged. This can only be done by exploring the new; and the new can only be explored by creating it. Light branding will only happen if we make it happen.

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8 References

1. Aaker, David, Building Strong Brands, New York: Free Press, 1996 2. Cuttle, Christopher, Lighting by Design, Massachusetts: Architectural Press, 2003 3. Gob, Marc, Emotional Branding: the new paradigm brands to people, New York: Windsor books Ltd., 2001 4. Aaker, David, and Joachimsthaler, Erich, Brand Leadership, New York: Free Press, 2000 5. Gad, Thomas, 4-D Branding, Great Britain: Bookhouse, 2001 6. Clifton, Rita, and Maughan, Esther, The Future of Brands: Twenty-five Visions, London: Macmillan, 2000 7. MacAdam, L. David, Sources of Colour Science, Massachusetts: MIT, 1970 8. http://www.walt.de 9. http://www.cyberdog.net 10. http://www.nokia.com 11. http://www.lighting.com 12. http://www.motorola.com 13. http://www.fluidlighting.com 14. http://www.luminex.com 15. http://www.brandchannel.com 16. http://www.nap.edu/html/visual_impairments/references.html 17. http://www.lightprojectsltd.com/publicat.htm 18. http://www.businessweek.com/index.html 19. http://www.waldmann.com 20. http://www.lightforum.com/architecturallighting/index.jsp 21. http://www.dlfny.com 22. http://www.marqueesolutions.co.uk 23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2010141.stm 24. http://www.ford.com 25. http://www.philips.com 26. http://www.apple.com

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