HOW LIGHTING DESIGN AFFECTS OUR DAILY LIFE

Posted: August 26th, 2021

HOW LIGHTING DESIGN AFFECTS OUR DAILY LIFE

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How Lighting Design Affects Our Daily Life

Light has been a part and parcel of people’s lives since. Projecting the days to come, all aspects of human lives are set to be digitized and optimized with the advancements in lighting designs. Both the natural light from the sun and artificial light from bulbs have different effect on people. For example, light from the morning sun acts as a source of vitamin D for young children, and thus, they are required to be exposed to sufficient amounts of it. Failure to this, these children develop weak bones which ultimately lead to rickets complications.[1] Also, a shiny and dimming lighting design illuminated within a dark room creates a club effect on a person entering such a room. As such, the person feels extremely relaxed and excited. The following are some of the ways in which different lighting designs influences the daily lives of people.

            Lighting plays a crucial role in regulating the human circadian rhythm, which is usually referred to as the body clock. The rhythm is one of the natural biorhythms of the human body. Even though this clock does not usually work in congruence with the artificial clock, it gives people a sense of time. As such, it is common for people to associate full brightness with midday conditions. In the same breath, exposed to faint yellow sunlight, the body clock informs the mind of a person that it is either morning or evening. It is important to note that exposure of the human body to bright light in the evening has the effect of delaying the body clock in such a way that it delays sleep from coming by early enough. Prolonged sleep deprivation can result in disastrous health complications like anxiety and reduced concentration at work.

            Secondly, lighting designs affect people’s decision-making abilities. When exposed to bright lights, people experience powerful emotions. In this way, the psychological system of human beings is designed in such a fashion that it recognizes bright lighting as heat. Thus, the perception of lighting as heat tends to trigger emotions. On the other hand, dimming lights significantly help in the reduction of emotions in people. The fairly lit or dim conditions are interpreted by the body clock as a source of calmness. Thirdly, lighting conditions affect people’s emotions in many different ways. For example, natural light coming into a room through the windows or doors creates a calming effect on the house’s occupants. On the other hand, lack of lighting within a room can be depressing to the occupants.

            Fourthly, both artificial and natural light affect people’s eyes. The eye is such a sensitive body organ that without it, no person is able to observe objects within his or her surrounding environment. Excessive natural light or poorly balanced lighting scheme tends to strain or even damage the human eyes. [2]As such, numerous cases of tiredness and headaches have been reported by people who spent a lot of time in areas that are brightly lit. Thus, light bulbs nowadays get dispatched from their manufacturers with set illumination intensity limits that pose no grave threats to the human eye. Lastly, lighting can also affect people’s concentration and productivity. In a brightly lit room, for example, concentration tends to decrease. Therefore, it is important to make use of warm garage lighting since it is comfortable on the eyes especially when one is to work within artificial light for long periods. Overall, light affects the way we live on a daily basis.

Bibliography

Dascalita, Raluca. “That meaningful light: A phenomenological approach to meaning in lighting design.” (2018).

Moran, Nick. Performance Lighting Design: how to light for the stage, concerts and live events. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018.

[1]Dascalita, Raluca. “That meaningful light: A phenomenological approach to meaning in lighting design.” (2018).

[2]Moran, Nick. Performance Lighting Design: how to light for the stage, concerts and live events. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018.