• Monica Kao

  • Lumi-snap: Modular Home Lighting System

    Lumi-snap: Modular Home Lighting System
    Lumi-snap is a modular lighting system I designed to challenge the “buy-and-dispose” mindset often applied to modern consumer products. My project explores the ways thoughtful, adaptable design schemes can reduce waste while meeting the evolving needs of everyday life. Traditional lighting is often discarded not because of major failures but instead in response to minor parts breaking or changes in lifestyle including where it is installed. Such decisions to discard products contributes to increases in electronic waste. I wanted to address this dynamic by developing a system built on a shared set of core components—lamp heads, batteries, and wireless charging bases—that can be easily reconfigured and affordably replaced. With my product, a desk lamp can become a wall-mounted fixture, a standing lamp, or a pendant light. Lumi-snap's lamp head connects magnetically to different bases, each wirelessly powered to automatically begin charging the light when it is attached. Key components are individually replaceable or upgradable, thereby extending the product’s lifespan and minimizing e-waste. Through extensive prototyping and user testing, I refined the system to ensure intuitive function, durability, and aesthetic versatility. The result is a circular design solution that encourages repair over replacement and adapts to users’ changing spaces and lifestyles—offering flexibility, sustainability, and longevity in one cohesive product.
  • Program Details

    Inspired by this work? Explore program features, curriculum, faculty, and more.

  • Related Work

  • Take The Next Step

Submit your application

Undergraduates

To apply to any of our undergraduate programs (except the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs) complete and submit the Common App online.

Undergraduate Adult Learners

To apply to any of our Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

Graduates

To apply to any of our Master's, Doctoral, Professional Studies Diploma, and Graduate Certificate programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

Close