This thesis provides the reader with the necessary theoretical frameworks to understand the research aimed towards answering the question: which associations do people have with atmospheres influenced by dynamic light textures? This question is then used to provide a framework of guidelines for the designer. A review of lighting design history introduced the terms ambient luminescence, focal glow and play of brilliants proposed by Kelly (Kelly, 1952). Research into perceptual psychology then disentangled principles of perception to the reader, after which it was found that mood was commonly used to measure the impact of environments. Contradictory results of studies suggested that mood lacked a reliable method of measurement. In a study by Vogels (Vogels, 2008), introducing the term atmosphere as a stable alternative for mood, defined as the affective evaluation of the environment, was introduced. In this study, the impact of static light conditions on atmosphere perception was investigated. It was found that four underlying variables are of influence when perceiving environments with static light conditions: cosiness, liveliness, tenseness and detachedness. Focusing on dynamic light conditions, a distinction was made between using real-world or abstract dynamic patterns as stimuli. The way people perceive real-world scenes was found to vary depending on culture and background (Nisbett & Miyamoto, 2005) (Kuwabara & Smith, 2016), leading to the preference for abstract patterns. A translation of abstract patterns into dynamic light textures was made by considering the principle of ensemble perception. Inspired by the natural world 39 stimuli were created. Participants were subjected to these stimuli in an experiment, finding that participants use the same words when describing atmospheres influenced by dynamic light textures through a frequency analysis. Participants’ responses were clustered according to their meaning, resulting in a 40 word lexicon. A set of 13 stimuli were shown to 16 participants in a second experiment, and participants’ responses were recorded using a questionnaire containing the 40 word lexicon.  It was found that participants gave relatively the same responses. Additionally, it was found through a principal component analysis that three underlying variables are present in the perception of atmospheres influenced by dynamic light conditions: tenseness, liveliness and detachment. Furthermore, it was confirmed that people are able to distinguish between the perceived atmospheres. Cosiness was not found to be a principal component in our construct. Regarding the workings of the underlying variables found, we found that liveliness is influenced by organisation of shapes in the texture and colour contrasts. Tenseness is influenced by the complexity of individual forms within textures; it is also influenced by colour contrasts. Brilliance contrasts in the texture influence liveliness of a space; sharpness contrasts influence the sense of detachment. Dynamics in the textures, like the rate of change, influence both the liveliness and tenseness axes and might influence the detachment axis. The findings of the experiments and analyses were used to develop a framework usable by designers, noting however that several points of recommendation were made to improve the reliability and usability of this framework.

This master's thesis was completed at Tu Delft in collaboration with Signify, with the goal of providing guidance into the use of digital manufacturing in lighting design by creating a lighting system concept for the context of nursing homes. The following design goal elements emerged in this context to improve the well-being of elderly residents. The goal was to incorporate these elements into a lighting system concept that is manifested in a working prototype. • Bright – Many nursing homes are too dark for the elderly to perform tasks. Vertical illumination may improve the perception of brightness and spaciousness. • Natural – From the perspective of biophilic design and healing environments, nursing homes could benefit from natural light, shapes, and materials to improve the space’s restorative affordances. • Lively – From the standpoint of lighting design, nursing homes could benefit from lively elements such as patterns and brilliance to balance the visual aesthetics. • Pleasant – The aesthetics and light effect should not be annoying because several residents will glance at it daily. The project started with literature research on lighting and biophilic design, visiting fairs on lighting and 3D printing, and meeting stakeholders from Signify and nursing homes. Prototypes were created iteratively and with increasing fidelity with light sources, cardboard, and 3D printing throughout the project to explore and evaluate ideas. Image-generating AI tools served as inspiration, and parametric design was used to model complex designs. The product experience design was guided by Nine Moments of Product Aesthetics, and the theory of Unity and Variety guided the product experience design in the detailing of the concept. Livy, the final concept, consists of 3D wall panels and spotlights that together create a nature-inspired light effect. The lighting system increases the perceived brightness of the room by vertical illumination and reflecting diffuse light into the space from vertical wall panels. The light also improves the liveliness and brilliance of the lighting atmosphere by creating dynamic shadows and caustics. Natural materials are introduced through the wooden panels and filaments in a natural shape and pattern. The light is warm white and indirect for a pleasant feel. A formal validation was conducted with elderly residents (N = 13) in a nursing home. Ratings of brightness, naturalness, liveliness, and pleasantness were rated on a four-point scale. The judgments revealed that the majority of these goal elements were judged positively. The prototype appeared bright (Mean = 3), lively (Mean = 3.2), and pleasant (Mean = 3.5) with the luminaires switched on. Several participants perceived the concept as natural (Mean = 2.4) and referred to natural metaphors. As expected, the brightness was rated significantly higher compared to the luminaires switched off, which was not true for the other ratings. The project offers valuable insights and a practical example of how digital manufacturing can be used in lighting design within Signify. There is potential for designing illuminated surfaces that combine natural patterns and materials with lighting to create visually appealing spaces. This digital approach also demonstrates opportunities for Signify to develop products that cater to aesthetic preferences and, in particular, lighting needs in a context. Additionally, it identifies opportunities for further steps to make products better reusable or recyclable.

How to enhance communication between people is always an interesting topic in the design area. After going through the research, the author set the specific context for online counselling due to the increasing demand for online counselling during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online format limits a lot of non-verbal information like body language, vocal tones, facial expressions, and posture (Keynan et al.) that is only available in face-to-face communication. This limitation is critical as counselling clients have broad expectations for assistance in various life aspects (emotional, social, vocational, educational, and physical) (American Psychological Association, 2008) and the effectiveness of counselling hinges on the relationship and trust between the counsellor and the client, making effective communication especially vital in the online counselling environment. The current online counselling service providers were studied to understand how people access relevant services. After conducting interviews with clients and counsellors experienced in both online and in-person counselling, it became evident that there were notable differences in the counselling process phases: before, during, and after the session. The during-session and after-session phases were selected for focused attention since the during-session is vital for communication between the parties and the client requires a mental shift to effectively transition from this phase after the counselling. Following the creative sessions and initial testing, the design vision was established: enhancing interactivity and connection in online counselling by augmenting sensory perception between the client and the counsellor. A system for monitoring and generating content assisted by artificial intelligence was conceptualised. The system could monitor the client's emotion and convey it to the counsellor, use the generated content to improve review and reflect activity, and help them better foster interaction and connection between the involved parties. The envisioned system aims to: 1. Enhance the client's perception of self-emotions and counsellor's engagement 2. Deepen the counsellor's understanding of the client's emotions, reduce their workload and improve engagement 3. Provide effective session reflection for the client, a unique advantage of the online system. The feasibility and limitations were analysed in terms of the emotion recognition technology and ethical issues. This concept could be integrated with current online video platforms or online counselling service websites and the design of this work could provide valuable insights and opportunities to enhance the entire online counselling process and potentially extend its benefits to other online communication environments.