The Joy of Making Something Tangible

For the past few years, almost everything I’ve created has been digital. Apps, websites, and generally things that exist on a screen.

I love my work, digital design, and technology, but at some point, I realized I was getting tired of everything I made being digital.

I wanted to do something away from the computer, or at least partly away from it. Something I could actually see, touch, hold in my hands, or give to someone else. Something that felt more real than another “fake” app.

So I started looking for ideas of things I could make.

Why a lamp?

While browsing Pinterest, I came across some lamps and started exploring the idea further.

Maybe it’s because of my background in photography, but I’ve always had a love for light and how it can bring emotion into a space.

So the idea of designing and making my own lamp seemed really interesting, and I decided to give it a try.

The Process

The whole process was a lot of fun.

Of course, there were plenty of revisions and experiments before I got the result I wanted, but that entire process of continuously improving things was really interesting.

I had to run tests to see whether the dimensions I’d designed were correct, whether the mechanism I’d created to connect the different parts actually worked, whether the lampshade was the right thickness to let enough light through, and plenty of other little things I hadn’t considered at first.

What made the experience even better was having complete freedom to do whatever I wanted, without any external pressure.

There were no client requirements, deadlines, or constraints I had to follow. I could simply experiment, try different ideas, and see what worked and what didn’t.

The whole thing felt a lot like playing.

The Moment It Lit Up

When the final pieces finished printing, I assembled them, and everything fit together just as it should.

Finally, I plugged the lamp in, and it lit up.

And it looked beautiful, too!

I was so excited!

Something I had designed myself had come to life right in front of me.

It was no longer just a design on my computer. It was a real object that I could use every day and that would make my space a little more beautiful.

It was a completely different feeling from what I experience when I create something digital that doesn’t exist in the physical world.

It’s still early days, since I’ve only just finished it, but every time I look at it, I feel really happy and proud that I managed to create something I can actually use in my everyday life.

What’s Next?

I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface.

The ideas I have and the things I want to explore seem endless.

More lamps, complementary home decor, electronics projects like speakers, or even something smarter with a screen. And whatever else I might come up with along the way.

That doesn’t mean I want to leave digital design behind. I still love my work and technology, and they’ll always be part of my life.

I just needed to find a different outlet for my creativity.

And I’m really glad I gave it a try.

I wanted to share this experience because it brought me so much joy, but also because I’d love to encourage other people to try new things.

Especially my friends in tech who spend a big part of their day in the digital world.

We don’t have to stop loving digital design or technology. But every now and then, it’s worth stepping outside that world and trying to make something tangible.

I started with a lamp, and I’m already thinking about what else I could make.