Kate Grabowsky

BFA in Art & Design

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Grounding Light Additional Information

Grounding Light

Most of my work focuses on designing products that improve lives through empathy and research. With my past experience with my mental health struggles, I wanted to create a tool to help users ground themselves through the good and the bad. With the added strain of the pandemic in the past year, poor mental health has become a more universal and less taboo subject, echoing my own journey with mental health. “Grounding” is a common therapeutic exercise that can help counteract and prevent spiraling by focusing on the here and now. My product is a physical grounding device that uses touch and sight to refocus the users on grounding. The object is a physical reminder to ground oneself, and the modern design fits in a home setting. The spherical light is almost like the user’s own miniature sun, guiding them when they need it. The portability will help you connect more intimately, holding the device close as a reminder. The smooth transition of the light guides your breath, giving you time to take a moment to focus on your body and taking a moment to rest. I hope that this project helps those familiar with grounding and introduces more people to the wellness technique.
This image shows the sphere-like light turning on and off on a table. The top of the sphere is frosted glass with the bottom part being gold. There is also a laptop and a set of glasses on the glass table.

The device can be used as a portable lamp along with its original function as a grounding device.

It shows the device on a gold vase-like object that has a hollow center. The sphere device is turning on and off in the image.

This image shows the device in the charging station. The light charges wirelessly, where it sits in its home in the internal area of the station.

This image shows the device and the charging dock. The top of the charging dock has light-colored smoke coming from the top, showing the diffuser.

The charging dock also doubles as an essential oils diffuser, engaging the sense of smell and adding a calming atmosphere.

This image shows just the sphere-like device turning on and off with a plain blue-gray background.
This image shows the light with two of the charging stations behind it. One of the charging stations is gold while the other is matte black. They are sitting on a textured marble table.

Both the charging station and the light were designed to stand together and independently. The portability of the light means that both aspects of the product will not always be displayed together, so their independence was vital to the design.

This image shows a closer view of the product, in the same context as the first image (it is still on the glass table with the glasses and laptop).
This image shows the light in a darker environment with a hand. The hand is moving up and down, pressing down on the sphere. The sphere springs back up, and it turns on or off every time the hand taps it.

To use the device as a light, you just press on the top. The internal mechanisms allow the light to turn on and off.

This image shows the light held in a hand, fading in and out as if breathing.

This is a sped up example of the breathing exercise to help encourage therapeutic grounding. To see more examples and my process work, check out my website!

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