a slower switch
light switches, 2026
As one of the first points of interaction in a space, the light switch has the power to shape how we experience the space as a whole.
Instead of disappearing into utility, it could become a grounding object– one that invites a small moment of presence.
lacquered ceramic switch
wooden switch
switch
object
Most people do not consider their experience of turning a light on and off. The very interaction that facilitates light is unintentional.
But how can design obligate intentionality?
I believe that users can find significance in the distance between the object and its function.
illumination
function
“A distinct sense of distance, resistance and tension has to be maintained in relation to programme, function and comfort. A piece of [design] should not become transparent in its utilitarian and rational motives; it has to maintain its impenetrable secret and mystery in order to ignite our imagination and emotions.”
Juhani Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin
It was this revelation that influenced me to use time as the scale of brightness. By simply making light less immediate and requiring the user to linger, the interaction can spark a moment of awareness, of meaning. This moment can also act to ground the user in their space– the light transformed into a function of the duration of their touch, like an imbuing of energy.