Light is a human need that is often taken for granted. What would our everyday lives look like if a significant power outage were to occur? We have designed a portable dimmable luminaire that can be charged with a positionable solar panel. The luminaire can be used daily or when no other source of light is available.

Through design and social sustainability, the aim of the project has been to strengthen the preparedness of city dwellers. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency advises the public to get by for 72 hours without the government's help. In our research, we discovered that city dwellers have very little preparedness should any crisis arise. This is due to low interest among the target group and the fact that the preparedness products available on the market have a military appearance that does not attract them.

By giving the lamp everyday utility, you can increase the target group's motivation to strengthen their preparedness. The psychological crisis attachment to the product disappears if you are surrounded by it and use it in your everyday life.

A large part of the project has been the exploration of different light sources, how light spreads, and how it is experienced in different scenarios. With reality as a limitation, we have developed a concept that works and fulfils its purpose. We were able to mount all of the components in the lamp's upper section while leaving the battery in the lower section as a calm overtone against the frosted plexiglass. The lamp can be fully disassembled, and all parts are replaceable.

The lamp is dimmable and is lit by turning the upper part, which is made of anodised aluminium. The hook allows you to hang and place the lamp wherever you want. The shape and design language of the light are inspired by Scandinavian matte tones. Depending on the target group's decor, in contrast to the neutral, we have made cords in different colour options. You can charge the lamp with the associated solar panel if the power goes out.

800 lm (dimmable), 2700 K

5 hr (can be upgraded to 10 hr)

The path and brief we chose in the Off the Grid project focused on the light accessibility problem in events of crisis among city dwellers. We want to offer a solution to this problem since our users have no home preparedness in most cases. We have designed a fully-working cordless photovoltaic rechargeable luminaire for this lamp, and with its solar panel, we offer our users a way of maintaining their everyday routines even in events of crisis (depending on how severe it is, of course).

The whole design process in this project can best be described as an iterative one. The main takeaways from this process have been the research on how light affects the room, what the user needs and wants, mockup testing, and understanding of what components fit together and why. The target group is city dwellers between the ages of 25 and 55 who live in apartments with access to balconies. The target group wants a functional and aesthetically pleasing light source that can be used in everyday life as well as in a possible crisis where you need access to light.

The Swedish MSB recommends 72 hours of prep without the help of the state. The idea is that our target group should use the light source in everyday life and in the event of a crisis situation. The purpose is to be able to illuminate parts of the apartment and be able to perform various everyday chores during a possible crisis situation.

In an event of a crisis, the lamp is to be charged with the solar panel during the daytime when it isn't needed and turned on when it's dark. If we assume that there will be a power failure, the lamp is already switched on and has a full charge, to begin with. If it is darker outside in general, if it is winter, there will of course be fewer hours of sunshine and less energy for the lamp.