Migraine Sympathetic Desk
Lamp
The Alex Light was designed to ease and prevent migraines in the workplace.
Throughout the day it opens and closes to match the brightness of the desk to that of outside. In turn regulating hormone release.
Green is Good
Light quality is one of the key contributing factors in migraine control.
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To combat this I initially utilised green light, based on a study from Harvard University but upon consulting with UK neurologists found a lack of consensus in the scientific community.
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To combat this uncertainty I adapted the light to allow the user to customise the light based on their individual needs with a multitude of lenses which produce from "UV free" to "different shades of green" light.
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I also did my own research into light source quality and determined filament bulbs were needed to avoid PWM.
Shaping Up
The shape and materials were all formulated around the products function.
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The aluminium body with rounded edges is based on current consumer trends with its similarity to the cylindrical forms of amazons Alexa and the google home.
To this degree it's a passive design which blends into its surroundings.
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This is important as some migraineurs feel their chance of promotion is hindered by their migraine.
The Light body is made from aluminium. I designed the shape for deep drawing but decided to cast an earlier version.
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Aluminium is generally around 80% recycled and retains value well throughout its lifespan
The sand casting process proved effective, here the ridges of the blank formed from milling are visible.
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The process of making end caps & walls for a shell requires precise bends which are difficult to procure in small volume at a low price.
To demonstrate the finish best I also milled the end caps from a block of aluminium on a military grade milling machine.
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The smooth curve dissipates the light across the desk giving less harsh lines.
Time Out
Another global trigger of migraine is stress. To further research this I took on work experience at a call centre, one of the jobs highlighted by HSE as stress inducing.
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I found my main source of stress, outside of environmental factors, to be workload. I had quotas to reach and found the lack of job security daunting.
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One coping mechanism I developed was to plan my day based on what I could achieve. The Alex Light uses it's movement to act as a linear timepiece to aid the planning process.
Environmental
At first glance the design may not seem overly sustainable.
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By ensuring the shell is removable the pure aluminium is separated and can be recycled easily.
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The inner components can then be separated easily leaving only 30g of electrical components.
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The product also comes in a box which explains the user is a jerk if they don't dispose of the product correctly. The box doubles as a desk tidy.
Why Alex?
My younger brother is called Finley Alexander Spathaky, though he wasn't involved in the testing or design of the light as I was afraid it would produce bias he was the initial reasoning for the brief.
Fin suffered from week long migraine episodes as a child which would render him screaming in bed day and night instead of going to school. I was pretty jealous, then I started to get tension type headaches and the jealousy faded.