I’m behind the times in acknowledging the emergence of the Luna Project and its subsequent commercial campaign, the Luna Pro Project. I assure you it is not due to a lack of interest or awareness but rather the inability to put in enough time to follow the programs until recently.
For those who haven’t heard, the Luna Project is a teen-targeted social media campaign and “brain child” of UK-based lighting specialist Dr. Shelley James, a self-described “lumenologist.” James has a background in the arts and became a lighting advocate and consultant, bearing both a doctorate from the Royal College of Art (London, UK) and certifications in lighting design and electrical installation. According to the Age of Light Innovations website, James has long engaged in “build[ing] bridges between the worlds of art, technology and business to help people understand the power of light.”
How does that translate to a social media campaign intending to build awareness of how light impacts teen health and wellbeing? Cleverly, in my opinion. During COVID-19 lockdown, James said, she was motivated through observing family and friends to develop campaigns that could help teens and their parents understand how exposure to natural and artificial light can be managed to reduce eyestrain and vision-induced headaches, improve their sleep habits, and boost their overall mood and wellbeing. The result was a series of short informational videos in produced in collaboration with Bristol Medical School lecturer Dr. Denize Atan (neuro-ophthalmology); professor David Hicks, Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique (neurobiology and vision); Timo Partonen, research professor at Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare; and professor Arnold Wilkins of Essex University.
Related: Lighting heads toward a health medium
The initial campaign was supported by Signify, Seoul Semiconductor, and Signify. Since the launch, more big industry names and leading research experts have joined the cause, including Zumtobel. And it has expanded to an industry advocacy group that is looking to speak directly to lighting buyers (hence the “Pro”) who lack experience in lighting design; bridge knowledge gaps between the specification and procurement sectors; and advance the value of quality, thoughtful lighting planning and implementation to commercial project outcomes.
Related: Out with 'human centric,' in with 'nutritional light'
As the website is slightly convoluted to navigate, I’ve included a selection of links to direct Luna/Luna Pro information and multimedia pages below.
Now I have to give credit where it is due — to my LinkedIn feed. 😉 I’m half kidding! Industry insider John Bullock of The Light Review initially brought my attention to Age of Light Innovations and the “Drivers for Change” online events associated with the Luna Pro Project. Bullock is chairing these events with James as host and roundtable guests from around the lighting design chain. I thought, “This is one to watch.” I’ll mark my calendar and hope to attend the April 2022 event when registration is open.
Resources
Luna Project – View informational shorts
Luna Pro Project – Access individual interviews
“Drivers for Change: Lighting for People, Planet, and Prosperity” – Watch December roundtable
CARRIE MEADOWS is managing editor of LEDs Magazine, with 20 years’ experience in business-to-business publishing across technology markets including solid-state technology manufacturing, fiberoptic communications, machine vision, lasers and photonics, and LEDs and lighting.
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