Alt
2021 | Living Light
Role
Industrial Designer
Development
14 weeks
Recognition
IDA Design Silver Award | 2022
Alt is a tailored lighting solution for your work from home environment that celebrates the smooth transition from working to resting, helping user to maintain healthy daily routine.
Remember the time you had to work from home during the covid lock down? We may have enjoyed that for awhile, but some of us started to experience what is called "zoom faituge," where being unable to physically separate work to rest environment.
As working from home will be part of our work culture, I hope that Alt contributes feasible solution to enhance our environment to celebrate the smooth transition from working to resting, to help maintain healthy daily routine.
The Problem
The shift to working from home blurred the boundary between professional and personal life. While initially liberating, prolonged remote work led many people to experience mental fatigue—often described as “Zoom fatigue”—caused by the inability to physically separate spaces for focus and rest.
Lighting, one of the most powerful environmental cues, remained largely static in home offices. Existing solutions failed to adapt intuitively to changing mental states throughout the day, making it harder for users to transition between working and resting, and ultimately disrupting healthy daily routines.
Challenges
Designing Alt required addressing both emotional and functional needs. The product needed to:
Support distinct mental modes—focus and relaxation—within the same physical space
Enable instant, intuitive transitions without relying on complex interfaces
Feel calm, architectural, and at home in both work and living environments
Balance technical simplicity with expressive light control
Beyond functionality, the object needed to communicate its purpose visually—celebrating transition rather than demanding attention.
The Solution
Alt is a tailored lighting solution designed specifically for the work-from-home environment. It uses light as a behavioral cue, helping users shift seamlessly between focus and rest.
At its core is a simple louver mechanism, inspired by the way window blinds precisely control light and how hanging artifacts subtly define atmosphere. A central hinge allows the louvers to open and close with a single gesture, instantly transforming the mood of the space.
Cool light (up to 6500K) supports focus and productivity
Warm light (down to 2700K) encourages relaxation and decompression
Rather than relying on buttons or screens, Alt uses physical interaction to create a natural, almost ritualistic transition—mirroring the mental shift it’s designed to support.
The internal architecture is intentionally straightforward: a central light source, surrounded by frosted walls to diffuse glare, and topped with a gradient panel that smoothly transitions color temperature throughout the day.
Alt can be oriented in multiple configurations, adapting to different environments and use cases. When not in use, it nests into its base and wirelessly charges—always ready, always present, never intrusive.
The Outcome
Through extensive research, ideation, and iterative prototyping—from rough mockups to high-fidelity functional models—Alt evolved into a simple yet expressive object that enhances everyday routines.
By translating emotional transitions into a tangible interaction, Alt reframes lighting as more than illumination. It becomes a companion to modern work culture—supporting focus, encouraging rest, and helping users maintain a healthier balance in spaces where work and life now coexist.
As working from home continues to be part of our future, Alt offers a feasible and thoughtful solution—one that celebrates the smooth transition from working to resting, and helps people reconnect with a healthier daily rhythm.
