The Power of Light

THE POWER OF LIGHT

By Alia Elmegary

TURNÂ THE LIGHTS ON WHEN YOU READ

The Power of Light Alia Elmegary

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 7

HEALIGHT Circadian Rhythm Sleep, Vision & Appetite Light Therapy Our Features

19 21 23 27 29

PSYCHLIGHT

9

Mood and Emotions Depression and Anxiety

11 13

LIGHTMOSPHERE 33 Homes Workplace Workplace Q&A Cities and Tourism Restaurants Fitness Envirnoment

35 39 41 47 53 55

LIGHTVERTISE 59 Advertising Light Direction Neon Lights

61 65 67

CONCLUSION

73

The Power of Light Copyright Š 2020 by Alia Elmegary All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in book reviews.

Book design and photography by Alia Elmegary

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO ALL THE LIGHTS THAT BROUGHT SUNSHINE INDOORS ON A GLOOMY MORNING AND ENHANCED MY MOOD...

AND DEFINITELY MY AMAZING PARENTS & MY INCREDIBLE FIANCÉ.

6

| Introduction

INTRODUCTION For me, I always look at lights and choose places depending on its lighting, as light affects my mood so easily. Light surrounds us all the time, so it’s easy for us to take it for granted without being able to know the importance of light in several aspects. My book explores the importance of lighting and why it is important to us, and how light affects us psychologically, capable of turning the atmosphere upside down. It explains how cities, public spaces, and advertising can harness the power of light to engage and attract people and visitors.

Inroduction

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8

Chapter 1

PSYCHLIGHT 9

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Psychlight

“Light helps us get a better view on the world. It also helps shape our perception of it. By properly understanding how light impacts our moods and behavior, we can create spaces enabling us to be more creative, energetic, and productive.�

- Shanon Wilson Psychlight

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10

Blue Light Blue light makes it easier for our brains to process information and helps increase our productivity, concentration, and focus. People are more likely to be productive when exposed to blue light in comparison to other artificial light. Thus, blue light is used in workspaces or when we want to complete tasks precisely and quickly.

11

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Psychlight

Bright Light

Dim Light

Under bright light, our mood and emotions are more likely to be excessive. People associate heat with bright lights, and heat is associated with making our emotions more intense. For example, on hotter days, people tend to have less tolerance levels and make quick decisions just so they can escape from the heat to get indoors where it’s cool.

Lower lights help us relax and calm down. They keep our emotions steady, and help us fall asleep faster.

Warm lighting contributes to quieter environments and more relaxed people. Even though dim lights may not be beneficial for workspaces that require productivity and concentration, it may be beneficial for a restaurant, a bedroom, or a living room.

MOOD AND EMOTIONS Psychlight | Section 1

Light is more than just a visual effect; it also impacts humans biologically and psychologically.

Our bodies take signals to act from the light, environment, and sun. Proper light can regulate the circadian rhythm that acts as our internal clock, and we rely on our internal clock to regulate our mental functions. Thus, lighting can agitate

our physical natural patterns, changing our emotions, mood, energy levels, productivity, and concentration. Talieh Ghane's research on the interaction between light and health at the California Lighting Technology Center shows that a decent amount of light improves mood and emotions, while insufficient lighting contributes to bad mood and depression.

We are more likely to feel cheerful and energetic on bright days, and less excited, lazy, and sleepy on cloudy, dim days. That is because our bodies react to the psychological effects of lighting, and this changes our moods, emotions and energy levels.

Mood & Emotions

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12

DEPRESSION & ANXIETY Psychlight | Section 2 Because proper light can regulate our circadian rhythm, light can also affect our limbic system.

This system regulates a person’s emotions and feelings of happiness, sadness, and anger. A disrupted rhythm can negatively affect our emotions. Thus, light is used to treat depression, and anxiety.

13

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Psychlight

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a mood disorder that leads to symptoms of depression, usually during winter. SAD doesn’t just affect people who have mental illness problems, but can affect anyone. Light therapy, also known as phototherapy, is used to treat SAD, and is a treatment where the patient is exposed to an artificial light source.

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of SAD include: • Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day • Having low energy • Having problems with sleeping • Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight • Feeling sluggish or agitated • Having difficulty concentrating

SAD Patient.

Depression & Anxiety |

14

Light sheet that mimics sunlight.

15

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Psychlight

SAD Lamp.

Usually, light therapy tends to compensate for the lack of sunlight exposure that is related to numerous depressive disorders associated with seasonal patterns. The patient is exposed to an artificial light box that emits strong light. This light typically mimics natural light.

Light therapy is beneficial as light naturally generates serotonin production in the brain.

Serotonin is a brain chemical which makes us feel good.

Natural light is believed to be the best mood lifter, as it helps in reducing depression symptoms.

Some doctors have found that a combination of light therapy with antidepressants makes the perfect depression treatment.

Depression & Anxiety

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16

Amongst all the darkness, there comes a ray of light.

Psychlight

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18

Chapter 2

HEALIGHT 19

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Healight

“We all are fully aware that poor lighting can damage our eyesight especially when we are reading or watching, but apart from that, lighting can affect us in multiple ways.�

-ETrealty Healight

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20

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM Healight | Section 1 Assuredly, lighting has a strong influence on our minds. From our eating habits to our hormones, lighting affects everything in some way. Thus, keeping lighting in our lives at a moderate level leads to a happy, positive, and healthy mindset. We have to always remember that natural light positively influences our mood.

21

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Healight

The hypothalamus is a part of our brain related to our natural internal clock, which is linked to receptors related to our retinas. These receptors work as a synchronization tool with our internal clock, affected by the light we are exposed to during the day.

The amount and type of lighting impacts our circadian rhythm, which influences our sleeping patterns, vision, appetite, and even our hormones.

SLEEP, VISION & APPETITE Healight | Section 2 Warm and soft lights are always good for our vision and better for our eyes’ health, compared to other artificial light like ultraviolet (UV) and blue light. UV light, such as sunlight and fluorescent lighting, can damage eyesight without protection, and blue light,

23

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Healight

like that produced by smartphones, is a form of “cool light” that can harm the eyes as well. Even though blue light makes us more productive and focused, it can disrupt our circadian rhythm, which can result in poor sleep at night caused by smartphone usage right before bedtime.

Blue light also makes it harder to remember new information, and over the long term of not getting enough good sleep, leads to a neurotoxin buildup, which also makes it harder for us to get good sleep at night.

Poor Sleep at Night.

Sleep, Sleep,Vision Vision&&Appetite Appetite

||

24 24

Cool Light Affects Vision.

25

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Healight

Blue light can also suppress melatonin levels, and those people with disrupted internal clocks caused by excessive light exposure are more prone to depression and anxiety. Also, light plays an important role in affecting our appetite.

Dim light can make people eat slower, while bright light is more likely to make people eat faster.

Think of lighting in an upscale restaurant versus a fast-food chain restaurant. Blue light disrupts our melatonin release patterns, and can mess with our hormones that control hunger, which can result in massive weight gain.

“Healthy lighting goes hand-in-hand with healthy darkness.�Contrast is what our biological system needs for us to function well. It is inherent in our nature to need contrast between the light we are exposed to during the day and the darkness of the night.

Sleep, Vision & Appetite

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26

LIGHT THERAPY Healight | Section 3 LED light therapy is now used to regenerate the skin from aging and acne. It also affects the mood afterwards as it psychologically helps in gaining self-confidence. LED means lightemitting diode. LEDs work by producing infrared light that emits heat in several spectrums, which is beneficial for our skin. Amber light arouses collagen in the skin.

27

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Healight

Red light promotes skin circulation, and treat scars. Blue light kills skin bacteria which causes acne. White light penetrates the skin deep and works on reducing inflammation, along with tightening saggy skin that results from aging and weight loss. Light skin therapy doesn’t cause any skin damage and is painless, and can even be relaxing.

“Lighting is a HUGE deal.

It can drastically alter what you look like, for better or worse.”

-Photofeeler

Red light Therapy Lamps.

Light Therapy

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28

Soft light.

Hard light.

29

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Healight

Sometimes, light is all what we need.

Under bright light.

Under inadequate light.

OUR FEATURES Healight | Section 4 Not only can light treat our skin, but light plays an important role in changing our features, drastically affecting the way we look as shadows, created by light, make our bone structure look different that it actually is The before and after images look different, and each picture expresses different tones and emotions. Each picture features one person under bright, soft light,

and the other with inadequate, hard light that develops a dramatic look. These photographs explain just how light can be a powerful tool, especially when it comes to human faces and features. One can perceive people in these photographs as two completely different people, each with different interests and psychologies. Even though you know nothing about these people, it’s easy for you to attribute

their characteristics based just on the lighting. The young woman looks like a teenager with bright eyes and looks fiery, while the other photo of her looks like someone terrifying, worried, and hurt. This powerful visual shift comes as a result of the shift in lighting.

Our Features

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30

31

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Healight

Everyone shines. Given the right lighting.

Chapter 3

LIGHTMOSPHERE 33

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Lightmosphere

“Light has the capacity to create an atmosphere much more than furniture or an accessory can; it recreates unique sensations and experiences.�

- Cathy Figueiredo

Lightmosphere

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34

HOMES Lightmosphere | Section 1 Lighting can alter the visual size of a room or a space and it can completely change its mood.

Where the light is used and the type of light used are essential aspects of interior design.

The correct lighting for interior design can easily contribute to comfort and practicality. It plays a huge role in interior design.

35

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Lightmosphere

You can pick all the perfect colors and furniture, but if the space isn’t lit properly, everything will fall flat. Lighting also creates a positive atmosphere in a room and can give wonderful illumination overall, with wall lights giving depth to any hallway. Directional lighting is where light is used to highlight certain design elements in a room.Track lighting is perfect for

directional lighting, highlighting specific elements that grab your attention, such as pieces of art, a sculpture, or a focal point in a room.

In addition, there are mirrors and picture frames with built-in light which can highlight specific spots in a space.

For creating a more dramatic effect, recessed lighting creates a vertical glow of light that adds a powerful, impressive effect to a space.

Dim Light.

Homes

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36

Track Lighting.

37

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Lightmosphere

Hall-way Lighting.

Built-in mirror light.

Homes

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38

WORKPLACE Lightmosphere | Section 2 Workplace lighting has been found to have the power to improve productivity and the work rate of employees. It is always very important to decide the kind of lighting needed according to the kind of work performed at the workplace. For example, in a workspace where computer screens are always used,

39

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Lightmosphere

it is important to to have a decent amount of light so that screen brightness eases eye strain on workers. There are two types of artificial light used in workspaces: dim light and high-intensity light.

Insufficient dim light in the workplace can cause laziness and weakness,

which reduces work productivity, as it makes employees lose motivation.

The other type of lighting is the bright light, like fluorescent and halogen lights, which affects workers as well, making them more focused and productive.

Dim Light.

High-intensity Light.

Workplace

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40

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH..

41

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Lightmosphere

Mohamed Elshazly enior echnical

ffice ngineer at

trac o pany.

The company is best known for its modern lighting techniques.

Workplace

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42

Dim & Bright Lighting.

43

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Lightmosphere

Kitchenette Normal Lighting.

Kitchenette Party Lighting.

What do you notice about your work performance under dim lighting in your workspace? How do you feel about it, and how often do you or your co-workers turn down or dim the lights at work?

“Dim lighting makes me so chill and unable to perform my tasks normally without being lazy or distracted, thinking of nothing.

In our workplace we dim the lights in the kitchenette when we celebrate something, or during pizza parties on Thursdays. Sometimes we turn dim lights on with the bright lights, but it makes me go crazy and have mixed feelings.�

Workplace

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44

“Bright lights can sometimes cause headaches over a long period of time working.

However, it makes me more focused and concentrated, helping me finish my tasks quickly.�

45

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Lightmosphere

High-intensity / Bright Light.

Workplace

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46

CITIES & TOURISM Lightmosphere | Section 3

City illumination has drastically changed over the past few years, as functional lighting increasingly gave way to more qualitative light. Lights used for security in cities has increasingly been matched by the use of light for beautifying cities and making them more attractive for visitors. There is now huge attention being paid toward new lighting approaches.

47

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Lightmosphere

As a result, an increasing number of European cities now include tourism development based on their lighting systems targets. Cities have to provide a welcoming vibe and atmosphere to attract residents and support tourism.They have to brand themselves, and lighting plays an important role in enhancing their brand identity.

Lighting helps make a city more attractive and safe, which is a distinctive mark that can define its charm and individualize it from other cities. Cities use lights to highlight important locations.

For example, the lighting installation that takes place in the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, D.C. during Christmas attracts both visitors and residents alike. People take millions of photographs with the Christmas lighting, which adds to both their experience and the marketing of the city.

In Cairo, Egypt, spot lights are used to emphasize and highlight the pyramids and the citadel at night, which can be seen from tourist hotels nearby, creating a positive mood for both residents and visitors. For any landmark that is not yet known, lighting can help make it famous and market it.

Lighting has the power to transform an atmosphere and increase tourism, because light is representative of everything that life nurtures. It has the power to remind us that no matter how dark it may look, a tiny bit of light has the power to cut the darkness and make things brighter. We are all drawn to light, as it always reminds us that darkness will not win.

Cities & Tourism

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48

Cairo Citadel Lights at Night.

49

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Lightmosphere

Giza Pyramids Lights.

Iconic Mosque in Cairo.

Georgetown Glow.

Cities & Tourism

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50

A captivating finding reported recently by some news channels is that blue street lights have reduced both crime and suicide rates.

Glasgow, Scotland introduced blue street lighting to improve the city’s landscape in 2000. Afterward, the number of crimes were noticeably reduced in the blue lighting areas. In Nara, Japan, police introduced blue lights to the streets in 2005, and found that the amount of crime in blue-lit neighborhoods decreased by about 9%.

Glasgow, Scotland.

Cities & Tourism

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52

Fast-Food Restaurant.

53

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Lightmosphere

Up-Scale Restaurant.

Dim Lighting.

RESTAURANTS Lightmosphere | Section 4

The reason why upscale restaurants use dimmed lighting is because it affects our decisionmaking process. Lights in general affect how much and how fast we eat, what types of food we feel like eating, and it even controls our view of taste and flavor. We eat slow and eat less in restaurants with soft lights, as softer lighting makes us less worried and more relaxed, making us think less about our food selection.

For example, a romantic restaurant usually has dim lights with candles. This provides a welcoming aura, and encourages people to stay for awhile. In contrast, fast-food restaurants focus on getting people in and out quickly, so bright/high-intensity lights provide more fast-paced dining.

That’s the reason why all fastfood restraunts use bright lights.

Bright Lighting.

Restaurants

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THE FITNESS ENVIRNOMENT Lightmosphere | Section 5 High-intensity lighting is also essential to help users see better and prevent injury. Activities that are more intense and require movement need brighter light for safety purposes. Conversely, soft light can create a calming mood and a relaxed environment for a yoga or Pilates class.

55

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Lightmosphere

The relationship between mood and lighting is well-established and becomes part of any building design. Most places tend to include as much daylight as possible, as it enhances people’s moods. Brighter lighting enhances alertness and energizes us; that’s why gyms and fitness centers are designed with highintensity/bright lights.

Light manipulation is meant to ease intimidation. Using this lighting technique involves the use of LED strip lights and spot lights that add different color schemes to the space, usually implementing blue and red colors. Blue lighting tends to get people warmed up because blue light has a longer wavelength and is easy on the eye.

LED Strip lights

LED Strip lights

“If you have a big room and you’re doing a highintensity workout like aerobics or a boot camp, and you use bright-colored lighting you will get that more intense effect.”

-Neal Pire

High-intensity lighting Fitness Envirnoment

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56

Sometimes, light is all what we need.

Lightmosphere

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58

Chapter 4

LIGHTVERTISE 59

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Lightvertise

“If all the world’s a stage, you should ask for better lighting.”

- Unknown

Lightvertise

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60

ADVERTISING Lightvertise | Section 1 Lighting is easily forgotten, but it deserves paying attention to. Lighting done right is one of the most essential aspects to making advertising campaigns look authentic and professional.

It is like a spot light on stage.

Light emphasizes and highlights the most important part or thing in a product or an advertisement, as well as making the product look more appealing.

61

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Lightvertise

Different products demand different types and direction of lighting. If you’re advertising food, it is different than advertising jewelry or advertising beer. Food commercials use a lot of different lighting techniques when they are being shot. Lighting filters are important because food needs to be lit in different colors and tones to make the food more appealing.

Food is filmed from different angles as well, depending on what lighting theme is trying to be conveyed, such as smooth or harsh. On the other hand, jewelry advertising requires bright lighting to better show the shine and sparkle of the product.

Jewelry advertising also uses side lighting to create three-dimensional effect, which gives depth to the product. Shooting a beer bottle requires light behind the bottle to show and emphasize what’s inside.

Hard Side Lighting.

Advertising

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Hard Light to highlight textures.

63

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Lightvertise

Side Backlighting, for more flattering effect.

Backlighting.

Advertising

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LIGHT DIRECTION Lightvertise | Section 2 Advertisements are used to influence an audience to purchase products. It has been shown that leftward lighting can influence future intention to purchase. In the article, “Leftward lighting in advertisements increases advertisement ratings and purchase intention�

65

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Lightvertise

Participants voted for two different advertisements with opposite light directions. How they felt toward the advertisement and the product, and future intention to purchase was classified as well.

Participants leaned toward leftward lighting advertisements.

They said that they would be more likely to purchase these products than when the same products were lit from the right.

These findings suggest that advertisements with a leftward lighting tend to be more effective.

Left-ward Lighting.

Right-ward Lighting.

Light Direction

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67

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Lightvertise

NEON LIGHTS Lightvertise | Section 3 Neon lighting’s unique glow has been lighting up cities across the world through the 20th century. Neon lighting brings life back to the atmosphere and animate cities, awakening urban and modern worlds, nostalgic and futuristic. Signage and advertising made our cities dazzling, and more commercial.

The reason why neon lightings are vastly used in advertising nowadays as signage for bars, shops, hotels, beauty salons, etc. is because of their power to decorate and adorn buildings and places, and evoke the night-time, thus grabs people’s attention, and automatically attracts them to the place to see the lights and take pictures, which is such an effective marketing and advertising strategy to any business.

Dara’s Icecream Outdoor Sign.

69

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Lightvertise

Renee’s Outdoor Advertising.

Pick-up Outdoor Sign.

Lit Company Hall-way.

Neon Lights

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70

Using the right lighting, one can conquer the world.

Lightvertise

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72

CONCLUSION Lights have inspired me in so many ways. As an artist, lights made me capture my distinctive character, and have been my strong source of inspiration to my graphic design journey and to most of my projects. Good lighting has brought peace to me and improved my mood. Not only good lighting made me see things differently and accurately, but has affected how I perceive things under different lighting, which increasingly made me appreciate good lighting. As well as helped me decide on my favorite colors, clothes and my whole style that shaped how I look and who I am today. As lights helped me along the path, I would li e to introduce y very first design pro ect to co e to life that expresses my passion for both graphic design and lights, and how both adorn the beauty of each other and to me, complete one another.

Open Sign.

Logo.

Chicken Invaders Food Truck.

Advertising Signage.

Conclusion

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74

Credits: Page 62: Image courtesy of Packshot-Creator Page 52: Image courtesy of Weburbanist Page 76: Hutchison, J., Thomas, N. A., & Elias, L. Leftward lighting in advertisements increases advertisement ratings and purchase intention, 2009.

To bring it closer to home, The next time you are in a classroom, hospital, or even in your own home, take a minute to think about lighting and compare the contrast between “what it is” and “what it can be.”

TO MY AMAZING READERS,

I hope you enjoyed reading my book, and can now choose the perfect lighting for you.

REMEMBER TO TURN THE LIGHTS OFF

In this book, you will discover the significance and power of light in several aspects, as well as understand how light can be sensibly used to positively affect people, places, and designs.