Lamps by DAE students intensify our bond with products that respond to touch

The almost unconscious act of switching on the light takes an interesting turn in lamps by two graduates of Design Academy Eindhoven. They exemplify an industry-wide shift from inanimate products to responsive companions.



In a series of three illuminated objects called Minerae, Swiss designer Thomas Missé pairs the raw with the refined. Captured in a luminous glow, rough-hewn pieces of iron ore sit mysteriously on square or rectangular aluminium plinths belonging to large and small table lamps and to a freestanding floor model, all with translucent plastic reflectors. When you lift one of these ‘stones’ from its base, the light goes out, whereas a slow twist makes it work like a gradual dimmer.

Photo Femke Rijerman



Featured in DAE’s graduate show at Dutch Design Week, Sandra Lundberg’s Yaris is a desk lamp that doubles as a pet who reacts when his back or chin is stroked. A 3D-printed spine clad in soft ‘skin’ responds to tickles and scratches, changing the direction of the beam with every touch.

Photo Lisa Klappe