The Anglepoise Lamp
Hello! I’m Pat and Better by Design is my newsletter where I deconstruct the art and science of hit designs and share the lessons.
Product Design
The Anglepoise is a minor miracle of balance, a quality in life we do not value as we should. - Sir Kenneth Grange
The Anglepoise Lamp
The Anglepoise lamp is a classic of British design with an interesting story.
Its inventor, George Carwardine, was an automotive engineer working on vehicle suspensions who found himself intrigued by the challenge of creating a flexible, yet stable, mechanism that could be precisely positioned. He discovered that, by using a unique balance of weights and springs, he could devise an arm that could pivot at an angle yet maintain its position after being released.
Carwardine soon realized his invention had more potential outside the automotive industry. Partnering with Herbert Terry and Sons, a company known for manufacturing springs, Carwardine took his concept and adapted it into a practical desk lamp that could be adjusted to any position - the birth of the first Anglepoise lamp in 1933.
The Anglepoise lamp is strikingly similar to another well-known design, the Luxo lamp. Born in Norway a few years later, the Luxo lamp bears a close resemblance to the Anglepoise in its functionality, adjustability, and minimalist aesthetic. Its claim to fame is largely due to its feature in the Pixar logo. This connection has made it globally recognizable, often eclipsing the original Anglepoise in mainstream consciousness. But despite Luxo's fame, it's important to acknowledge that the Anglepoise was the original pioneer.
So why is the Anglepoise a good design?
It’s innovative
The lamp's distinctive spring technology was a happy accident of invention. It allowed an unprecedented degree of adjustability, expertly combining weight and tension to create a lamp that could hold any position and focus light precisely where it was needed. This user-focused design reinvented the conventional understanding of a desk lamp's functionality.
It’s aesthetic
The Anglepoise lamp's minimalist aesthetic, defined by clean lines and industrial elegance, has made it a beloved fixture in many settings. But its aesthetics aren’t just about surface appeal. They're deeply tied to the product's function, with the design of the lamp enhancing its adjustability and ease of use.
It’s long-lasting
The Anglepoise lamp remains a design icon nearly a century after its introduction. Its enduring appeal doesn't just lie in its robust materials and quality build. It's also about how well it serves a fundamental human need: focused, adjustable light. It’s as good today as it was on day one.
Brand Design
Spindrift
Spindrift is my personal undisputed champion of seltzers.
But while I love the product, there’s not a whole lot for me to talk about… I mean, it’s sparkling water.
However, the company has also done a great job building a quality brand that stands out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Which principles does it nail?
Have a big idea
It’s a surprisingly simple big idea: flavor and sweeten your sparkling water with real fruit juice, not artificial flavoring.
Give the facts
Spindrift communicates the facts of their product clearly and consistently.
Often they even state the specific numbers of pieces of fruit that went into flavoring a can of the beverage. It keeps the message simple while cueing you in to the product’s big idea and differentiator in the market.
Stay true to your brand
Spindrift is very consistent in their brand execution. An visual of the core fruit is central to the design, supported by bright colors reflecting that fruit’s natural palette offset by a clean, white base. The packaging design builds into a unified suite, moving from one flavor to the next. It’s a very scalable system that gives them plenty of room to grow the product line and be creative in their marketing while staying true to the brand.
Moment of Zen
Brandon Shaw is doing some tremendous work on his YouTube channel ‘Digging the Greats’. He breaks down songs and shares the fascinating, nitty gritty details that make them click. In this video, he deconstructs Daft Punk’s classic album Discovery, recreating many of the core samples powering the hit tracks and blowing my mind in the best possible way. If you like music and understanding how quality things get made (which let’s face it, if you’re here hanging with me you probably do 😂), you’ll dig Brandon’s work. Check it out!
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I really enjoyed reading this article. First thing that game to mind for me is that the Anglepoise lamp's invention is a great example of how innovation can come from unlikely sources. Carwardine was an automotive engineer, not a lamp designer, yet his work on vehicle suspensions led him to create a revolutionary lamp design. This highlights the importance of cross-disciplinary thinking and the potential for innovation when we apply concepts from one field to another.