Making Sense of our Senses -Sensory Event Design Blog Series Pt 2. Light

In the first of our series of blogs focusing on sensory event design we will look at the sensory experience of light and its significant impact on event success and attendee/participant experience.

Fetching’s Chief Engagement Officer Georgie Stayches has previously written about light as the ‘secret’ to event success in this blog.

​Here, we’ll build on this and explore more deeply.

It’s quite well known that daylight supports our bodies’ circadian rhythms and is vital for getting the Vitamin D we need. Intuitively we’re aware that daylight helps us to feel awake and balanced. It also enhances mental performance and concentration, improves visual quality, reduces eye strain, and impacts the secretion of neurotransmitters such as serotonin which can improve mood and lower levels of anxiety. Light sources with richer spectra are better for our vision, and natural daylight has the richest spectrum, allowing for easier recognition and retention1.
 
How exactly does daylight affect our circadian rhythms and wellbeing, and give these kinds of benefits? Sunlight changes in colour over the course of the day, from yellow light in the morning to blue at midday and then red in the afternoon/evening. The human body responds to the cue of the light’s colour, altering body temperature, heart rate and circadian functioning accordingly. More blue light (similar to the sun in the sky in the middle of the day) signals to our bodies to produce the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin, while less blue light in the evening encourages the production of melatonin, which is important for sleep and recovery. An appropriate balance of serotonin and melatonin is linked to a balanced mood, alertness levels, sleep quality, and the healthy function of our organs and systems (Kandel, et al, 2013).
 
The lighting of an event, and the presence or absence of daylight, can strongly influence the feeling and experience of attendees. A study in 1999 showed that there was a 20% improvement in performance in a classroom with natural daylight in comparison to a classroom that was non-day lit. The students in the daylight classroom also demonstrated 20-26% faster learning rates (Mirrahimi, et al, 2013). This clearly shows the benefits of daylight for events that want attendees to receive and absorb the knowledge being shared.
 
Studies have also shown that the absence of daylight or windows in a space contributes to stress and causes feelings of discomfort. Daylight provides a feeling of security, and the window size, tint, sky conditions, and the anticipation of daylight, all impact our levels of performance.
 
The lighting of our event spaces can directly link to how engaged our attendees are, how well they can function, and whether or not they feel they have a positive experience at the event. A dynamic and diffuse light pattern, such as lighting which changes over time, can stimulate the eye and hold the attention of attendees in a way that creates a positive psychological and physiological response.
 
Some ideas and considerations when it comes to the lighting at your event:

• What access is there to natural light in the event space, and should other spaces, such as a plenary with natural light, or an outdoor walk, be considered for the event?
• Can the lighting be matched to the seasonal light or to the time of day when the event takes place?
• What role could task/personalised lighting or directional lighting or dimmer controls play in directing focus and attention?
• Does the event suit more dynamic lighting or more diffuse lighting, depending on the objectives of the event?
• How long are attendees spending in any one light setting, and is there opportunity to vary this, for example holding catering breaks outside?

 
Light directly impacts how our bodies function, our mood and our concentration. The wrong lighting at the wrong time of day could leave attendees feeling sluggish and tired instead of alert and focused.
 
The presence of light and the quality of light in an event space also ties in closely to our overall visual experience of an event, and that’s the sense we will explore in our next blog.
 
References:
1. Terrapin Bright Green LLC Study, 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design,
https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/
Kandel, E.R., J.H. Schwartz, T.M. Jessell, S.A. Siegelbaum, & A.J. Hudspeth (2013). Principles of Neural Science, Fifth Edition. New York: McGraw Hill. 18 26
Mirrahimi, S., Lukman, N., Ibrahim, N., Surat, M. (2013). Effect of daylighting on student health and performance. http://www.wseas.us/e-library/conferences/2013/Malaysia/MACMESE/MACMESE-20.pdf

Author

Fetching Events & Communications is a boutique agency that works with the community, for the community, specialising in project management, event management, communications and volunteer engagement. Combining our international event experience in media with our communications knowledge and skills, Fetching Events & Communications provides a fully integrated events, volunteer engagement and communications service.