Greater China
Signify Lighting
White Paper
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“Evolution
of Light”
China is known to be the world’s most “inhomogeneous” area. 5,000 years of civilisation, coupled with the country’s diverse natural and geographical landscapes, it has given birth to a multitude of lifestyles and cultural practices.
Light can have different symbolic meanings across Chinese communities, and with time, the Chinese are increasingly using lighting to achieve desired moods. However, their lack of knowledge in the cultural symbolism of light has often led to fanciful yet meaningless displays. As a global leader in lighting technology, Signify Design (previously Philips Lighting Design) believe they can awaken this subconscious knowledge by deep diving into their cultural roots.
Signify Design took more than 2 years to put together a team of experts with the intention of exploring how the Chinese culture has shaped the people’s lighting needs and choices.
How to:
Understand how the Chinese perceive light and create a profile of lighting principles to help the industry create lighting experiences that will truly resonate with the Chinese community and to present it in a well-organized and comprehensive manner.
Hence:
Collating Signify’s newfound observations and knowledge into a white paper, using lighting as the common language for Chinese community. This publication will not only help the future Chinese generation incorporate connected lighting technology into their everyday lives, but will also pave the way for more innovations from Signify and the entire lighting industry.
Front Cover Design
Signify’s in-depth study on the Chinese people’s perception and uses of light were chronicled under four broad areas and they are recorded in the chapters “Basis of Light Application” and “Colours of Light”, and supplementary content under “Shadows” and “Lustre”. Together, they form “The framework for understanding lighting in the Chinese community”.
Light has the power to evoke emotions including joy, sadness and more.
With this understanding, 25 emotional experiences of lighting were identified, and reorganised into 9 lighting moods, and the created “The Signify lighting experience map for the Chinese community.” This map not only serves as a useful guide for anyone who wants to know how to achieve lighting experiences through ambiences, but also as a source of inspiration for future innovations in the lighting industry.
