Highlights
My Role
Teammate on a student team in a hands-on user-centered design course offered by Design Bloc.
Target Users
Volunteer light-booth operators in Georgia Tech’s student run performing arts theater, DramaTech.
Problem
In order to test a mix of lights on stage, light-booth operators had to repeatedly travel up and down in a scissor lift to replace the colored gel strips in the stagelights near the ceiling. This limited the number of combinations tech staff could try out and excluded non-scissor-lift-driving volunteers from participating in the lighting design.
Impact
With their new LightBox installed in the light booth, the tech crew can easily and reliably test out combinations of colored light from the ground, and new volunteers can contribute to the creative process of bringing scenes to life on stage through the perfect combination of colored lights.
Process
Interviewed members of the theater staff for pain points.
Shadowed lighting staff during a day of hanging lights for the upcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Used AEIOU and empathy map frameworks to define challenge with inexperienced volunteers being unable to help with lights.
Built quick & dirty cardboard prototype to test idea for light mixer.
Co-created design for second prototype light mixer with Dramatech lighting staff.
Built and collected feedback on second working prototype.
Finalized form to allow lighting designers to test a mix of two light colors at a realsitic 45-degree angle in a dark space.
Designed CAD model for hi-fidelity working prototype.
Finalized hardware list and generated files to lasercut parts.
Built working product of lasercut wood and off-the-shelf components.
Delivered & installed working light mixer in tech booth for staff at Dramatech to use in an upcoming production’s lighting design.
- Matte black paint matches conditions of theater’s stage
- Dimmers allow variable mixing of two light hues
- Inside of flaps include magnetic trays to swap out colored gels (gels are plastic films used to color lights on stage)
- Front opening allows designers to insert hand and test lighting on skin
