Kickstarter

Imagine a flower with a paper-thin rectangular head. A hole has been cut out of the center which is also angular in shape. Supporting its weight is a spindly stem that has grown out of a flower pot. Like a bizarre love child between a flower vase and 80’s sci-fi movie, this blossom lights up with a cool neon glow. 

That is the description of a lamp I built a decade ago after discovering a new lighting material called electroluminescence. 10 years and too many life events for a single person later, that lamp kept reemerging in my mind. Assuming someone had probably come up with a similar design, I decided to do some serious research on the lighting industry. What I discovered was underwhelming... The lighting design industry in the U.S. had not changed much in the last century, never mind the last decade.   

Instead of being discouraged I was ecstatic; a stagnant industry means a great opportunity to shake things up!  Inspired by the untapped possibilities I quickly created dozens of designs, all based on my original concept.  After narrowing the designs to just a few, I successfully built the first prototype with the help of Nextfab Studio, a design and manufacturing facility here in Philadelphia.

Now armed with a working prototype, I wanted to get my lamp onto the shelves of stores so the public would have a real alternative to the boring light bulb and lamp shade combo that’s been around for generations. But how? Manufacturing a consumer product, no matter how simple, costs real money. I’m not independently wealthy, so where would I get the startup funding? 

The answer of course is Kickstarter. So here I am, ready to make you an elegant, manufactured version of “The Square Tulip.” And your help gives me the chance to change the face of lighting design.

-Judah Konigsberg