Amber Fan

Industrial Design, 2020

Since April 2017, there have been four student suicides that took place in the OSU campus parking garages. These tragic incidents call for immediate attention, what can be done to better ensure students’ wellbeing in the campus garages?

Research indicates that the Ohio Union South Garage is more vulnerable to student-suicides and on-campus crimes. The garage adopts a monolithic and brutalist interior aesthetic. Its insufficient lighting condition allows for large shadow areas in the garage. Both above mentioned traits attribute to a negative environment that is unhealthy to students’ mental and physical wellbeing.

DELIGHT is a smart lighting system designed for the Union South Garage to combat its opposing environment. With its chromatic lighting, DELIGHT introduces color to disrupt the garage’s monolithic interior aesthetic. The built-in motion sensors allow for pedestrian-detection and color-change, thus creating movements within the garage.

Using color and movement, DELIGHT aims to achieve a more positive environment in the Union South Garage, providing students a better sense of safety and ensuring their wellbeing.

Born and raised in China, Amber Fan came from a multi-cultural background, where she gained a heightened awareness of cultural diversity. Keen on learning various cultures and languages, she understands the importance of people and human-centric design in the world of industrial design. With a multitude of design skills, Amber is prepared to take on challenges and welcomes new possibilities.