Assignment 4 - How much of an affect does lighting have on the way we experience a space?

I have decided to look at lighting again for this assignment, and research how much of an effect it has on us in certain environments. I will be taking a different approach to my research this time, as we have been asked to prepare and carry out an interview with a small number of people.

-Preparing the interview questions.

In order to find out what questions I wanted to ask I  started a mind map looking at lighting in different situations, and what effect it has within these situations. For example; Lighting in a cinema lobby is usually dimmed to create a more intimate atmosphere and prepare users for the low light of the cinema, but if  it wasnt dimmed, users may find the transition between a brightly lit lobby and a dark cinema room more tricky, as I would take there eyes longer to adjust.

It is the quality of the information rather than the quantity that will be useful to me, so the questions I ask will have to be open, allowing for a variety of answers and prevent people from answering with yes/no.

Here are the questions I created.

Q.1 What are the factors that influence you the most when you first walk into a room/space ?
 Q.1b Can you list them in order of importance?

Q.2 What would you personally use to create a specific atmosphere in a space?
Q.2b Which of these elements would you consider the most important?

Q.3 Do you feel that spaces should be lit differently for different purposes?
       If yes, why?

Q.4 Have you ever been in a space where you found the lighting uncomfortable?

Q.5 Apart from reading any reviews or reccomendations, what would influence you to choose one Restauraunt over another?

When carrying out the interviews I used a semi-structured approach, using the questions I had prepeared, but also elaborating  on them in order to gain more information from the person being interviewed.

Here is a condensed version of a couple interview results.

Person 1
Name:    SuzieWilliams
Age:       43
Gender:  Female

Q1. Answer
Big windows, Colours, Light, Ventilation
 Q.1b Light/Big windows,Ventilation, Colours

Q.2 Answer
Plants, Lighting Music
Q.2b Lighting, Music, Plants

Q,3 Answer
Yes, Important to set the mood of the room

Q4, Answer
Yes, many times at librarys, supermarkets and some restaurants where "it was hard to see the food."

Q.5 Answer
Noise, external appearance, internal lighting scheme.

Person 2
Name:    Steve Evans
Age:       38
Gender:  Male

Q1. Answer
Overall atmosphere created by lighting and music, Layout, Decor
 Q.1b Overall atmosphere, Layout, Decor

Q.2 Answer
Warmth, decor/objects, lighting
Q.2b Lighting, Warmth, decor/objects


Q,3 Answer
Yes, "Because I like to create different feelings in a room to work in or to chill out."

Q4, Answer
Yes, Restraunts that are too bright "hate strip lighting in supermarkets, makes me leave quicker"

Q.5 Answer
Real fireplace inside restraunt, relaxed lighting and atmosphere

 From looking at my interview results, the way a space is lit seems to have a large impact on how people feel about it. The strip lighting in supermarkets and other public spaces can put people off, and force them to leave yet a soft mood light seen from outside a restaurant can draw people in. Light also is a tool people seem to  use readily when they are looking to create a specific atmosphere in a room.