Lumious Wishes

Speak your wish, and watch it ripple through light—shared, seen, and shining in the night.

Client

Map mima

Duration

10 weeks

Role

Experience designer,

Creative Developer,

Researcher


Tools

Figma, Rhino, Processing java, CapCut

Project Description

Luminous Wishes transforms the catenary space into a visual symphony, where sound becomes light and movement sparks emotion. Using motion sensors and voice-activated filters, participants trigger color-shifting lights and natural sounds, creating a living artwork shaped by collective hopes. This experience celebrates community spirit and shared responsibility, highlighting how individual actions contribute to Lake Macquarie’s vibrant future.

Design Philosophy

The memories and stories of a land are like the growth of plants in nature. The installation uses nature as inspiration to construct a series of metaphors for the process of planting, rooting, sprouting, climbing, flowering and fruiting. The short but brilliant encounters flicker like light. The weight and lightness seem eternal in the ever-changing time and light.

We tend to see the nature with our eyes, but when closing your eyes, all the sounds become extremely vivid and powerful. The nature plays different symphonies for people in different communities is an irreplaceable chord. And together, the sounds paint the nature into a colorful space.


LUMINOUS WISHES weakens the presence of humans in nature, the Roots, representing nature, as a bridge of ensemble between humans and ecosystems, making LED light strips a magical sound space extending from the Roots that people can see.

Objective

Explore how people engage with the Map mima's catenary space and design experiences that amplify community presence and connection—without altering existing light infrastructure.

Design Challenge

Create meaningful, multi-sensory interactions using only adjacent poles and physical input points, while respecting site limitations and maintaining visual integrity.

Deliverable

Delivered an experience-driven installation that uses motion sensors, audio, and pole-mounted interfaces to transform everyday movement and voice into shared visual and sonic expressions—without modifying existing light straps.

Overall Installation

  • Bird eye view

    Top view

    Overall installation of the Catenary

  • Root-Inspired Structure

    Symbolizes settling and belonging—encouraging a deeper connection to place, community, and home.

    Interactive Panel

    • Equipped with two physical buttons for user interaction

    • Integrated microphone for keyword detection and sound input

    • Built-in speaker for voice guidance and audio feedback

Experience Narrative

  • Passive Interaction – Ambient Mode (Slow Movement)

    When there is no interaction, the strip lights remain on but emit a yellow light. Additionally, if a person's speed is below 8 kilometers per hour, the lights maintain this constant illumination mode.

  • Passive Interaction –
    Motion Trail Mode (Fast Movement)

    When the speed exceeds 8km/h(like running or skateboarding), motion sensors along the path activate. The lights begin to change, displaying a spectrum of bright, random colors that flow dynamically with the people’s movement. The random color’s direction is the same as the people’s direction.

  • Individual Interaction – Wish Recording


    A visitor approaches the installation, activates the microphone by long-pressing the lower button, and speaks their wish aloud. The system captures keywords to trigger matching light colors, which spread across nearby poles in sync with the sound’s rhythm—turning each message into a shared visual expression.

  • Individual Interaction – Nature Sound Playback

    If a visitor presses the upper button in single mode, they can listen to natural sounds. The system is configured to manage multiple audio requests efficiently; if two buttons are pressed simultaneously, it will prioritize and sequentially play the audio based on the order they were activated.

  • Multiple Interaction – Group Wish Expression

    When multiple people use the installation simultaneously, they press and hold the button at the bottom of the pole to record their wishes. The system processes the recordings, extracting keywords to trigger corresponding light colors.

  • Multiple Interaction -
    Shared Wishes Playback

    The triggered colors ripple from the original pole to nearby ones, shifting with the sound’s waveform. When colors meet, they pause, then gradually fade after a 5-second playback. Depending on participants' choices, recorded wishes are saved and collectively replayed after one week during moments of inactivity—transforming individual voices into a shared memory.


  • Multiple Interaction -Collective Harmony Activation

    When multiple participants press the upper button together, the lights gradually shift to a green color-changing and twinkle in brightness in sync with the natural sounds, creating a sense of harmony and linkage between human and nature.

Solution Highlights

Enhances Active Public Spaces

Reacts to movement like skateboarding, adding playful light and energy to community areas.

Multi-Sensory Interaction

Combines voice, color, and sound for a rich, emotional experience that connects people to place.

Builds Collective Identity

Residents record hopes via button + mic, turning personal messages into shared, visual memories.

Fosters Community Expression

Each voice contributes to a growing archive of community spirit—symbolizing unity and hope.

Final video demonstration

Design Process

As the experience designer, I focused on shaping the user journey by translating research insights into intuitive, site-specific interactions. I worked closely with the team to define design directions, craft multi-sensory experiences, and prototype interactions that aligned with both user behaviors and the public character of the Catenary space.

Discovery (Weeks 1–2)

We explored the environmental, social, and spatial context surrounding MAP mima and the catenary site.

  • Key activities included:

    • Reviewing the design brief and identifying core design challenges

    • Conducting background research (site analysis, academic sources, community interviews)

    • Collecting user insights via surveys and casual observations

    • Mapping insights into key experience themes

  • My role:

    • Defined early experience goals based on user behaviors

    • Synthesized research into interaction principles and user flow

    • Helped align insights with feasible, engaging design opportunities specific to the catenary’s constraints

Define (Weeks 3–4)

We explored potential directions by drawing inspiration from precedent research and environmental metaphors. This phase helped us translate sound, light, and motion into meaningful experiences for the Catenary space.

  • Key activities included:

    • Conducting precedent research to gather inspiration and identify interaction patterns

    • Extracting insights from existing works to inform our own concept directions

    • Translating external references into context-specific ideas for MAP mima

    • Developing initial user journeys and experience sketches based on selected themes

    My role:

    • Researched and analyzed reference projects to guide early concept thinking

    • Created user journeys and interaction sketches for each direction

Develop (Weeks 5–8)

We built and tested interaction prototypes through two rounds of user testing and iteration. Feedback shaped the interaction clarity, sensory rhythm, and emotional depth.

  • Key activities included:

    • Prototyping low-fidelity interfaces to test interaction ideas

    • Conducting user testing using SUS and qualitative feedback

    • Iterating based on behavior patterns and user insights

  • My role:

    • Designed and facilitated testing to evaluate interaction flow

    • Analyzed emotional response and refined multisensory touchpoints

    • Ensured the experience aligned with both user behavior and site constraints

Deliver (Weeks 9–10)

We finalized the installation with integrated motion, sound, and voice-based features.

  • Key activities included:

    • Designing the spatial layout and light-based visual storytelling

    • Ensuring the technical feasibility of sensors and environmental feedback mechanisms

      Finalizing input-response mechanics for motion and voice

  • My focus:

    • Refined the overall experience flow and user engagement timing

    • Designed interaction transitions—from passive to participatory states

    • Aligned spatial, sensory, and emotional layers to communicate environmental awareness and collective memory