Now in its fourth generation, the Wake-up Light has sold more than one million units since

launching in 2006. By gradually increasing its light, the product wakes users up naturally,

leaving them feeling more refreshed and ready for the day ahead. Over the years, designers

have honed the product’s aesthetics from that of a combination of alarm and bedside lamp,

into a strikingly pure, stand-alone design. The simple yet organic profile of the new lamp is

reminiscent of the Wake-up Light’s first inspiration: the sun rising in the morning.

Philips DesignBackgrounder

Designing thePhilips Wake-up Light

2Philips Design October 2012

History

Philips demonstrated an early prototype of the Wake-up

Light at its 2006 Simplicity Event. Dubbed the Rise & Shine

light, the concept formed part of the’ Next Simplicity’ area,

where the company showcased simplicity-inspired designs

which could potentially launch in the following three to

five years. All fifteen concepts had been developed based

on extensive worldwide research into the social and

cultural trends that would influence consumers’ future

needs and desires.

The bedside lamp was showcased as part of the ‘Care

for your Body’ theme, which explored new ways to use

light in products to energize and rejuvenate people. At

the time, Philips sought to address consumers’ needs for

scientifically proven, yet engaging and relaxing activities.

The Rise & Shine lamp was designed to help people wake

up and fall asleep by mimicking the gradual changes in the

sun’s light.

Clinical research

Around the same time, Philips had carried out extensive

research with leading light therapy experts into the

relationship between light and well-being. That research

showed a positive correlation between dawn simulation

and how people feel when they wake up.

Waking up to gradual light, like a sunrise, is hard-wired

into the human brain. As light falls on a person’s eyes,

a message is sent to their brain that stimulates production

of cortisol, known as the energy hormone. Waking up

to dawn simulation has also been proven to help keep a

person’s internal body clock in sync. It helps to regulate

our circadian rhythm, promoting better sleep and reduced

stress levels – unlike waking up in the dark to a sudden

noise like a traditional alarm clock.

Trend analysis

The creation of the Wake-up Light concept called on

Philips Design’s trend research program, which seeks out

emerging trends for the future. As part of the program,

a creative team of trend experts analyze emerging themes

in areas such as art and architecture to help them pinpoint

future concepts, influences and aesthetics.

At the time, the trends team found that consumers were

becoming more focused on listening to nature’s rhythms,

and linking this back to their biological clock. They

observed a strong desire to focus on seasonal changes

and live a healthier life.

First Wake-Up Light

Second generation Wake-Up Light

Third Wake-up Light design

3Philips Design October 2012

design by removing the base section, effectively turning

the entire object into a light. The product’s main material,

a sturdy natural polycarbonate in a high-end matt finish,

echoed those used in more traditional lamps, such as glass,

ceramic and metal. The designers also worked with a sound

artist to create an improved range of noises for the alarm.

By moving the display panel inside the product, the

team gave the lamp a sense of pure simplicity, that both

consumers and the industry loved. In 2009, the second

generation scooped iF and red dot awards for outstanding

product design.

However, in simplifying the lamp, the designers had to

move the user interface to the side of the product.

With so many buttons and switches to navigate, users

sometimes found the interface too complex. So with

the third version, the designers stripped down the user

interface to a simpler selection, but reworked the look

into a more rounded, traditional lampshade-like shape.

Rising sun

With the fourth generation, launched in September 2012,

the Philips Design team transformed both the style and

form of the Wake-up Light into a fully-blown interior

design object. Consumer workshops had revealed that

many people associated a circle with the Wake-up Light

concept. With this in mind, the design team reworked the

existing upright, lamp-shaped light into a version inspired

by the sun – both in shape and function.

The resulting design is the smallest yet, leaving more room

on the bedside table. To keep the front of the light clear

of clutter, the design team created an innovative new

display interface. An LCD sitting inside the casing creates

the image, which is then projected onto the front.

The research also showed a change in peoples’ attitude

toward their bedrooms. Although those interviewed

still thought of the room as a very personal and intimate

space, the team saw a change toward fashion and more

frequent decoration, and an upswing in the importance of

including aesthetic objects like vases and art.

Before launching the Wake-up Light, Philips Design went

through a rigorous process of consumer tests to validate

the insight behind the product. They received extremely

positive feedback, with comments such as, “I have more

energy and get up without any stress,” and, “my boyfriend

and I noticed that, since we have the Wake-up Light, we

have more energy throughout the day. Our productivity

is higher and we feel that our daily rhythm is smoother.”

Independent research showed that eight out of 10 Wake-

up Light users found it easier to get out of bed in the

morning.

Designing the light

However, designing the final version proved a challenge.

Tests showed that people need a lot of light to wake up

successfully – around 250-300 lux – which is difficult to

achieve in a small unit. In addition to this, the team needed

to integrate a large number of features – including the

alarm settings, radio stations, pre-recorded sounds, and

light intensity – in a simple and intuitive way.

Philips designers initially addressed this issue by creating

a mushroom-shaped product with a large lamp head that

was big enough to give off 300 lux, and an alarm clock base

that housed the time display and all the buttons. This first

version was a huge market success from its launch in 2006.

But by 2008, research indicated that people wanted a more

compact and contemporary aesthetic, so Philips Design

created the second generation. The team simplified the

Sketching out ideas for the latest Wake-up Light

©2012 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.All rights reserved.

The effect is a seamless and stylish display, which

appears to float within the light. The lamp also

features a brand new light sequence that simulates

the color of the sun rising, slowly changing from soft

dawn reds to a warm daylight bright yellow.

The multiple functions of the new light have also

been designed for intuitive use. The physical controls

that switch the alarm and radio on and off, and alter

the volume and light, are housed in a discreet ring

around the outer edge of the light. For the first

time, this latest model also has a reverse mode that

sets the light sequences and sound levels to work

in the opposite way to aid falling asleep. The menu

itself is controlled by touch-sensitive buttons on

the front, placed just below the seamless display.

The new light comes in three models. The top-

end version is operated by docking to an iPhone.

The Philips Wake-up Light App enables simple

and intuitive navigation through the menu options.

All three models contain long-life LED lights, which

make the lamps energy efficient whilst also making

the new Colored Sunrise Simulation possible.

High-end finishes

For the top two models, the design team found an

elegant way to add a high-end finish to the light.

Inside, they incorporated a thin layer of a white,

light-diffusing plastic to create a pleasingly soft

light effect. Over that, they added a thick layer

of transparent plastic to give the finished product

a pleasing sense of depth and a glass-like finish.

Design Awards

2009

iF product design award

2009

red dot award: product design

Colored Sunrise

Simulation

For further information

contact:

Ange Dunselman

Philips Design Communications

+31 (0)6 2032 4488

ange.dunselman@philips.com

Philips Design

Philips Design is a recognized global

leader in people-centric design. Our

creative team strives to understand

people’s needs and desires and to

translate these into solutions and

experiences that create value for people

and business. Design at Philips ensures

that our innovations are meaningful

and that the Philips brand experience is

preferable and consistent across all its

touch-points.