Brittany - Week 6 - Site Specific

 

I visited The Irvine Spectrum last night, and I found some really striking lighting designs. The lighting that caught my eye instantly was the Ferris wheel. I had been to The Spectrum before and had seen the Ferris wheel at night, but I had never seen the beautiful mix of lights that are shown in these two photos.

In this lighting scene, I think the lighting designers were trying to evoke a heightened sense of attention to detail. By using a mix of vibrant, bright colors, the designers were calling attention to the details in this lighting. Ultimately, I think the design was meant to encourage buyers to pay close attention (to take in all the attractive and intricate mix of colors and lights) which translates into the buyers paying close attention when looking at different products in stores during their shopping experience at The Spectrum.

In my opinion, this store was not successful in the lighting design. I get cold, distant vibes from the stark overhead lighting. The overhead bars of light seem baren and emotionless. The store was completely empty besides the lone employee. This was a beauty/skin product store, and its lighting made me feel the opposite of how I ideally want my skin to feel. The mood was flat and lackluster rather than luscious and rich. The lighting did the opposite of enticing me to look at the products inside. I think the designers were going for a clean, crisp atmosphere, but I don't think it was successful because the environment felt dry and lifeless to me.

This store evoked the exact mood I was seeking for a skin/beauty product store. The use of the yellow backdrops with the bright white light made me think of clarity and vibrancy. The yellow backdrops' cut-outs also reminded me of gobos which gave the scene texture and its own zest. The store also utilized different angles of light. The front display in the window showcased dramatic angles of different lights which enticed me to take a second look at their display. The inside of the store was bright, warm, and inviting. I think this store was trying to parallel the feelings their products give your skin: radiant exuberance. I think this store's lighting design was very successful. It made me take a second look into a store I had never bought anything from.