Cultural Semantics-Driven Wooden Lamp Design: An Integrated Framework of Needs Analysis, Symbol Transformation, and Optical Simulation

Abstract

To address widespread product homogeneity and the scarcity of cultural value in the current lighting market, this study proposes a systematic design framework integrating user needs, cultural elements, and optical performance. The objective is to fabricate wooden lamps that combine cultural significance with optimal user experience and scientific lighting capabilities. User needs were gathered through interviews and questionnaires and then categorized using the Fuzzy C-Means clustering algorithm. Concurrently, the Coefficient of Variation method was employed to objectively determine the weight of each requirement, establishing a quantitative evaluation system. Yi ethnic totem elements were derived through literature review and field research. These cultural symbols were translated into openwork patterns adapted for wooden lamp structures. Guided by the weighted requirements, two distinct design schemes were developed. Finally, TracePro software was utilized to simulate and verify optical performance, specifically analyzing illuminance distribution and luminous intensity uniformity across the prototypes. The results indicate that the configuration combining plant patterns with a frosted lampshade achieved the superior performance among four comparative groups, demonstrating the optimal balance between lighting uniformity and effective coverage area. This study validates the effectiveness of the proposed framework, highlighting the integration of quantitative needs analysis and scientific verification.