Whether industrial products, medical technology, smart devices or publicly accessible systems: today, products and interfaces must be intuitive to understand, safe to use and accessible to a wide variety of user groups. The key to this lies in usability – that is, a product’s suitability for use and user-friendliness. Well-designed products put people at the centre. They offer a positive user experience (UX), enable interactive operation and provide guidance in complex environments. This is precisely where light plays a crucial role: it makes states visible, structures surfaces, provides visual feedback and supports barrier-free use.
Light makes all the difference
As a manufacturer of technical lighting solutions, MENTOR develops custom systems that intelligently combine usability with lighting technology. Drawing on a deep understanding of human-machine interaction, ergonomics and design integration, we create solutions that offer more than just lighting. They improve visibility, promote intuitive use and enable clear visual communication in real time, without the need for language or displays.
Working closely with product designers such as Martin Schmidt, practical concepts have been developed that exemplify the use of interactive lighting solutions in product design. Complemented by completed reference projects in industry, medical technology and mobility, MENTOR demonstrates how the integration of light actively enhances usability – with precision in terms of function, aesthetics and technology.
Usability is key to product quality.
Good products impress not only through their technical performance, but also through their user-friendliness. An interface that is self-explanatory. A device that uses lights to indicate what to do next. A status indicator that needs no words: that is usability that works.
Key aspects of usability and user experience:
- Orientation & Comprehensibility: Users immediately recognise how and where they can operate a product.
- Feedback & Response: Statuses such as activity, errors or progress are clearly visible.
- Safety & Error Prevention: Risks or operating errors can be avoided through clear signals.
- Efficiency & Speed: Information reaches the user directly, without detours.
- Emotion & Brand Perception: Intuitive products appear to be of higher quality and strengthen the brand.
- Inclusion & Accessibility: Light conveys information even without language, sound or symbols.
Improving usability through lighting
VISUAL FEEDBACK DIRECTLY ON THE PRODUCT
The Notification Centre was developed as a design study for people with hearing impairments and makes audible events visible through light. A light ring on the base indicates incoming messages or door signals, whilst a flashing red arrow on the portable unit alerts the user to hazards and simultaneously indicates the direction of the sound. In this way, light replaces acoustic signals, reduces risks in everyday life and enhances users’ independence – without the need for displays or complicated operation.
The Grohe Blue and Grohe Red kitchen taps demonstrate how integrated lighting is used to provide immediate feedback. Every user action is instantly confirmed by a distinct colour response: blue, green or mint indicate the selected water type, whilst red reliably signals a fault, such as an empty CO₂ cartridge. The light reacts directly to the user’s input, making the tap’s complex multifunctionality an intuitive experience. The contour-following light ring and the uniform illumination create an elegant operating concept that emphasises both practical clarity and the brand’s aesthetic. Users thus receive immediate, easy-to-understand feedback that simplifies operation and builds confidence.
GUIDANCE AND ORIENTATION
In shared-desk environments, the Smart Desk uses integrated lighting to indicate whether a workstation is available, booked or already occupied. An RGB colour scale is modelled on familiar status indicators from tools such as Outlook, Teams or Skype, whilst the lighting elements are discreetly integrated into fabric privacy screens. This enables quick orientation in dynamic working environments – intuitively and unobtrusively.
The Viega Vision for More 205 sensitive toilet flush plate uses integrated lighting to provide guidance and ensure comfortable operation. As soon as a person approaches, the flush surface is illuminated evenly and without glare by a precision-manufactured light guide and a diffuser plate. This ensures that the control surface stands out clearly from its surroundings, even in the dark or in poor lighting conditions. The intuitive visual cue reliably guides the user’s hand to the correct spot without the need for additional symbols or explanations. At the same time, the subtle lighting blends seamlessly into the panel’s elegant design and underlines Viega’s commitment to high quality. Users thus benefit from immediate orientation, enhanced comfort and a modern operating concept that perfectly combines functionality and design.
SAFETY & WARNINGS
Machine monitoring is another example of how integrated lighting can be used to improve usability. In complex industrial environments, a clear lighting code indicates the status of machines and systems. Colours and lighting patterns show at a glance whether a process is running smoothly, whether intervention is required, or whether a critical fault has occurred. Operators can recognise important information immediately, even from a distance or in poor visibility. This enhances safety, reduces downtime and makes processes more efficient overall.
The Altendorf HAND GUARD Safety System protects users of sliding table saws by means of an innovative lighting solution in the danger zone. As soon as a hand comes dangerously close to the saw blade, an integrated side-mounted fibre-optic system (M-Fibre) transmits a visual signal: if the light is green, the hand is within the safe working area; if it turns yellow, this indicates a potentially dangerous proximity. The clear colour-coding enables immediate recognition of the hazardous situation and helps users move their hand to safety in good time. The system thus combines technical precision and proactive accident prevention in an intuitive way, ensuring significantly greater safety when operating the machine.
STATUS COMMUNICATION AT A GLANCE
The Compleo Wallbox uses light as an interface between people and technology. A ring of LEDs encircling the unit indicates the current charging status of electric vehicles: pulsing, flashing or steady, and glowing in different colours depending on the situation. The display is clearly visible even in direct sunlight and from a distance. This makes charging electric vehicles simple, safe and intuitive, thereby increasing the acceptance and everyday practicality of electric mobility.
The smart speaker demonstrates how light can be used to convey status information clearly. Different colours and lighting effects make operating states immediately recognisable: users can see at a glance whether the device is switched on, in standby, establishing a connection, or whether the voice assistant is actively listening. Notifications and timers can also be indicated by visual signals without interrupting music playback. This creates an intuitive operating concept that conveys information unobtrusively, does not disrupt the user experience and yet complements the aesthetic design.
EMOTIONAL DESIGN & BRAND IMPACT
The lighting concept for the Cryo T Vital cryotherapy device was developed in close collaboration between Metrum Cryoflex and Mentor: it is an innovative medical device that combines safety, functionality and high-quality design. Through the integration of Mentor’s M-Fibre side-emitting fibre – which has won design and innovation awards – the device achieves elegant line and ambient lighting with uniform luminance, even in confined spaces such as those found in the Cryo T Vital. This lighting emphasises the brand identity of Metrum Cryoflex and stylishly demonstrates that even medical devices can meet the highest aesthetic standards. Thanks to Mentor, the solution could be implemented without any additional development effort, thereby offering immediate added value: through emotional product enhancement, intuitive recognisability and a modern, elegant appearance within a sophisticated, functional context.
ADAPTIVE COMMUNICATION
The Planty pot demonstrates how integrated lighting can convey information in an adaptive way. Built-in sensors continuously monitor soil moisture, light levels and nutrient content, and translate these readings into clear colour signals. Green means everything is fine; red warns of dryness; blue indicates overwatering. Other colours can indicate additional conditions, enabling users to recognise their plants’ care needs immediately. The light reacts dynamically to changes and provides proactive information without the need for an app or additional displays. The result is an everyday product that translates complex data into an intuitive, easily understandable language – functional, accessible and, at the same time, charming in its effect.
The Busch-Trevion® Keypad demonstrates how integrated lighting can be used for adaptive communication. Each switch features eight LEDs offering four operating options. The colours and intensities of the LEDs can be flexibly varied to clearly indicate different functions and operating states. Users can immediately recognise which function is active – whether through a gentle glow, clear colour feedback or dynamic adaptation to the situation at hand. This is made possible by precision-manufactured light guides made from diffuser material, which ensure homogeneous, glare-free illumination despite the confined installation space. The result is a control element that not only provides orientation but also conveys information dynamically and contextually. The visible added value lies in intuitive, modern interaction that combines efficiency with an elegant, brand-specific design.
INTEGRATION WITHOUT DISTRACTION
The Bosch Rexroth Nexo cordless screwdriver demonstrates how integrated lighting can be used as a discreet yet effective source of information. In industrial assembly environments, the lighting provides clear visual feedback on the screwdriving process without the need for additional displays or audible signals. The light is discreetly integrated into the tool, is glare-free and intuitively understandable. This allows fitters to maintain their focus on the task at hand, whilst at the same time receiving all the important information regarding the process status. The result is safe, efficient and ergonomic operation, where light provides guidance without causing distraction.
This mobile AI tool for people with hearing impairments adds a portable component to the Notification Centre, ensuring safety whilst on the move. Whether mounted on a bicycle handlebar or placed on a table, it picks up ambient sounds and interprets them using artificial intelligence. An integrated light indicator uses a clear arrow signal to show the direction of the sound, whilst, for example, a red flashing light alerts the user to potential hazards. The result is an intuitive orientation system that translates acoustic information into visual signals, offering people with hearing impairments greater independence and safety in everyday life – discreetly, immediately and reliably.
Martin Schmidt (born in Nuremberg in 1989) is a product and industrial designer and lives in Essen. After completing his degree (2016) at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, he has been working as an industrial designer at ifm electronic gmbh in Essen, where he designs pioneering products in the field of industrial sensor technology. In 2019, he undertook further training to become a certified Usability Engineer at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology. Martin Schmidt is a member of the VDID – Association of German Industrial Designers e.V. and serves as its vice-president on a voluntary basis.
At his own design studio, ‘Martin Schmidt – Product Designer, Ruhr Area’, he focuses on efficient and user-centred product design in accordance with ISO 9241. Here, he supports small and medium-sized enterprises in the areas of research, concept development and design from the perspective of the respective user. Further information about Martin Schmidt can be found at www.martinschmidt-design.com.