Swedish design research goes to Science Centre Singapore´s Climate Change Exhibition

Is it possible to make people more aware of their energy consumption through design? The Interactive Institute in Sweden has explored this research field for the last six years, especially in the areas of product and interaction design. The research has received a lot of attention internationally, and three of the design concepts will now be exhibited for five years at the Science Centre Singapore as part of their exhibition on Climate Change.

A responsible and reflective approach towards design is becoming increasingly necessary in a society where new products are produced every day. -“Being represented in Asia in a high profile context is a real opportunity for us at the Interactive Institute. Science Centre Singapore’s exhibition on climate change with a focus on sustainability is estimated to attract over 4 million visitors over a 5 year period - every single one can discover and interact with our design concepts”, says Christina Öhman who works with strategic development. -“It has been quite a challenge for us - and an honour ”.

Science Centre Singapore (SCS) is a non-formal educational institution for the promotion of science and technology among students and members of the public. It has the country's largest collection of educational and exhibit materials devoted to science and has been acclaimed as one of the top science centres in the world. It is visited by close to a million people yearly. - “Our collaboration with Science Centre Singapore is also interesting from a strategic point of view”, says Staffan Truvé, CEO of the Interactive Institute. –“The demand for design and development of new solutions for energy efficiency is worldwide.”

Dr Chew Tuan Chiong, Chief Executive, Science Centre Singapore, said, “We are pleased to collaborate with Interactive Institute in Sweden to highlight their unique designs in this Climate Change Exhibition. We also look forward to future avenues of collaboration which include working on future visualisation and interactive projects that go beyond this exhibition.”

Three concepts from the Interactive Institute will be exhibited:

1/ It is not only the light of the Flower Lamp – but its actual form – that reflects energy consumption in the home. Rather than showing how many watts are consumed at any given time, its shape is responsive to the overall trend in consumption. With a decrease in household electrical use, the Flower Lamp slowly opens up and appears to ‘bloom’. If, on the other hand, energy consumption increases, the Lamp closes into a more contracted form, which also affects the quality of light emitted.

2/ The Power Aware Cord is designed to visualise the energy use of the appliances connected to it through glowing pulses, flow, and intensity of light. It may be used as a ‘tool’ for people to rediscover energy in their homes as well as an ambient ‘display’ to see energy consumption at a glance at any given time. For instance, the effects of changing the volume on stereo equipment becomes immediately and dramatically apparent – as do appliances that are silently stealing electricity while on standby.

3/ The Energy Map is a new concept that has not been presented earlier. It visualises electricity use as a modern piece of art. Each power source is graphically represented by a smoothly moving circle which varies in size in accordance to the amount of electricity in use. The display is both decorative and informative, and combines the need of a service integrated into a modern lifestyle.

ABOUT INTERACTIVE INSTITUTE
Interactive Institute combines expertise in art, design and information technology to perform world leading applied research. The institute develops new experience oriented products and services, and provides strategic advice to corporations and public organisations. Research results are exhibited worldwide and are commercialised through licence agreements and spin-off companies.

Further information at www.tii.se

ABOUT SCIENCE CENTRE SINGAPORE
The Science Centre Singapore is a non-formal educational institution dedicated to the promotion of science and technology among students and members of the public. As a leading Science Centre in the region, the Science Centre Singapore has twelve exhibition galleries with more than 1,000 exhibits, and another 18,000 sq metres of outdoor space showcasing the Waterworks, Ecogarden and the Kinetic Garden exhibits. The Centre also houses the Omni-Theatre — Singapore’s only dome-shaped, 5-storey high theatre with a capacity of 276 seats. The Science Centre receives more than 950,000 visitors annually. For more information, please visit www.science.edu.sg


For more information, please contact:
Christina Öhman, strategic development, Interactive Institute, christina.ohman@tii.se,
Phone: +46 (8) 633 17 51

Koh Shu Ching, PR Officer, Science Centre Singapore, sc_koh@science.edu.sg,
Phone: +65 6425 2541

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT INTERACTIVE INSTITUTE
Interactive Institute is an experimental IT-research institute that creates results through combining art, design and technology. By exploring and integrating these three areas we can develop interaction and communication between people and their environment and challenge traditional ways of thinking.
For further reading: www.tii.se