1. Summarize the problem you set out to solve. What was the challenge posed to you? Did it get you excited and why?

I have been plagued with the all too common New Yorker dream -- finding a hidden room in my small studio apartment. Every time I wake, I briefly believe that I suddenly have more square footage. Unfortunately, that sensation is fleeting. I tried to create a device that would simulate the experience of discovering this secret room. I created the classic “hidden passageway book entrance” I’ve seen in many a B movie. The project was fun and the results were very satisfying.

2. What point of view did you bring to the challenge? Was there anything additional that you wanted to achieve with this project or bring to this project that was not part of the original brief?

I basically wanted the end result to be fun. The device is a secret until used and there is sense of satisfaction in the reveal.

3. When designing this project, whose interests did you consider? (Discuss various stakeholders, audiences, retailing, manufacturing, assembly, distribution, etc., for example.)

As a book lover, I did not want to switch to damage the book. Bibliophiles will be happy. The switch is made up primarily of off-the-shelf parts, making it easily reproducible by a DIYer. I plan to make the parts list and build process available to the public either in a kit or online how-to.

4. Describe the rigor that informed your design. (Research, ethnography, subject matter experts, materials exploration, technology, iteration, testing, etc., as applicable.) If this was a strictly research or strategy project, please provide more detail here.

Many a B movie was watched to find the perfect way to disguise the switch -- candle stick, clock face, Shakespeare bust, etc. In the end I decided to go with the old "secret book on a shelf", it's a classic for a reason. Originally the prototype was built out of aluminum, I switched to brass. This allowed the pivot hinge to be soldered to the base and spine as opposed to using epoxy. Soldering is a much more DIY friendly process.

5. What is the social value of your design? (Gladdening, educational, economic, paradigm-shifting, sustainable, labor-mindful, environmental, cultural, etc.) How does it earn its keep in the world?

Definitely gladdening. It brings a smile to my face -- and a response of "cool" from others -- every time I use it to turn on a light. It adds function to what would otherwise be just a book sitting on a shelf.

6. If you could have done one thing differently with the project, what would you have changed?

Currently, the base of the switch must be mounted to a book shelf via two small screws. Ideally, I would have liked the switch to not mar the piece of furniture it is installed in. The next iteration will most likely fasten non-destructively to the book shelf.