Monica Kao
Lumi-snap: Modular Home Lighting System
Lumi-snap is a modular lighting system I designed to challenge the “buy and dispose” mindset typical of modern consumerism. 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 the site of installation. 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 can be replaced or upgraded, 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 product.
