We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Menghai Xia about their original and creative Smart Lamp design work. Menghai Xia is an award-winning industrial designer, that makes our world a better place with their original smart lamp works.
Menghai Xia ("MX") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Luxblade Smart Lamp. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
MX : The Luxblade Smart Lamp was inspired by the desire to make light feel tangible. For decades, lighting has been dominated by the screw-in bulb — functional, but uninspiring and unsafe. We wanted to create a lamp that people could interact with directly: to hold, carry, and experience light as a personal object. The cylindrical form was deeply influenced by cultural icons like the lightsaber from Star Wars, turning light into something emotional and symbolic, not just practical.
MX : Our main focus was to merge emotional design with safe, intuitive interaction. We wanted Luxblade to feel futuristic yet natural, combining romance with everyday usability. The goal was to eliminate the outdated socket system and replace it with a safer, magnetic docking interface, while giving users new ways to interact with light — carrying it, rotating it, dimming it with simple gestures. Ultimately, we wanted to create a lamp that balances imagination with practicality.
MX : We envision developing Luxblade into a fully market-ready smart lighting product. Future iterations could explore stronger magnetic charging systems, broader smart home integration, and variations in scale — from desk lamps to larger architectural installations. Our aim is not only to produce Luxblade, but also to inspire a new category of lighting where interaction and emotion are at the center of design.
MX : The core idea dates back nearly a decade. At that time, the concept was clear — a cylindrical, tangible light source — but the technology wasn’t mature enough. Over the years, as sensors, chips, and magnetic charging systems became smaller and more reliable, the design evolved. In its most recent iteration, the refinement process took several months of prototyping and debating details, but in truth, this lamp has been in the making for many years.
MX : Luxblade was not commissioned — it was driven by inspiration. The concept emerged from a mix of childhood fascination with sci-fi, combined with frustration at how little the interface of lighting had changed. The traditional socket-bulb system is outdated and unsafe. Luxblade was born from the idea: what if light could be reimagined as an object of interaction and emotion, rather than just a source of illumination?
MX : At this stage, Luxblade is in the development and prototyping phase. We are open to collaboration with lighting or smart home companies to bring it to mass production, but the design was developed to stand as an independent project. Whether through partnerships or independent production, our goal is to preserve the design’s integrity and unique interaction model.
MX : Lighting is both functional and symbolic. Unlike many consumer products, light carries emotional and cultural resonance — it shapes how we feel in a space. I wanted to challenge the most basic convention: that light must come from a static fixture. Luxblade grew from the desire to reinvent not just how light looks, but how it is experienced.
MX : Yes — the influence is a combination of cultural and design inspirations. Sci-fi, particularly Star Wars, sparked the idea of light as a tangible object. Architecturally, the base dome design was inspired by organic structures, such as the wooden dwellings of the Wookiee’s homeworld, reinterpreted in anodized aluminum. Philosophically, I was inspired by designers who talk about “capturing the soul of technology,” creating products that merge utility with emotion.
MX : Luxblade is aimed at design-conscious users who value both innovation and emotional connection in their living spaces. This includes tech-savvy smart home adopters, design enthusiasts, and anyone drawn to the romance of futuristic objects. At the same time, because of its intuitive interface, it’s accessible to everyday users who simply want safe, elegant, and interactive lighting.
MX : What makes Luxblade unique is its complete rethinking of the light-object relationship. It eliminates the screw socket, replacing it with a magnetic, sealed interface. It turns light into a handheld, portable object. And it layers light sources — main beam, ambient dome, and subtle ring — to create emotional depth. While many lamps emphasize form or technology, Luxblade unites safety, interaction, and storytelling into one cohesive design.
MX : The name Luxblade combines “Lux,” meaning light, with “Blade,” a direct nod to its cylindrical, lightsaber-inspired form. The name reflects both its technical nature and its cultural resonance — it’s light you can hold, direct, and interact with like a blade of illumination.
MX : The design process involved both digital and physical tools. We used CAD software such as Rhino and KeyShot for modeling and rendering, alongside Adobe Creative Suite for visualization. Physical prototyping was also crucial to refine the touch interface and docking system, ensuring the gestures and magnetic alignment felt intuitive in real-world use.
MX : The most unique aspect is the way Luxblade makes light tangible. It’s not just a lamp — it’s a piece of light you can carry, turn, and interact with through intuitive gestures. This changes the emotional relationship with lighting, making it less about utility and more about ritual and experience.
MX : The design was led by our team, but it also benefited from conversations with engineers and smart home specialists. While the core form and interaction design came from our studio, input from technical experts helped ensure that the gesture controls, magnetic docking, and component layout could be feasible with current technology.
MX : Technology is what made Luxblade possible. Ten years ago, the chips, sensors, and magnetic charging systems were too large or expensive. Today, miniaturized capacitive touch sensors, compact power modules, and Bluetooth connectivity enable us to build a lamp that feels futuristic but practical. Still, the role of technology here is subtle — it disappears into the background, leaving the user with a simple, natural interaction.
MX : Yes, our research included observing user behavior with traditional lamps and smart home products. We noted how many interfaces felt overcomplicated or unintuitive, requiring apps or confusing buttons. We also considered cultural references, comparing responses to sci-fi-inspired objects in the U.S. (Savannah) and the growing appetite for smart home integration in Beijing. This combination of user research and cultural analysis strongly shaped the final design.
MX : The biggest challenge was timing. A decade ago, the idea was already alive, but the technology wasn’t ready. Waiting for components to mature, while keeping the vision intact, required patience. Another challenge was balancing the sci-fi inspiration with a refined aesthetic — ensuring it didn’t feel like a prop, but like a credible product for contemporary homes.
MX : Submitting Luxblade to the A’ Design Award felt natural because the competition values both creativity and cultural relevance. Luxblade is not just a lamp — it’s a design statement about rethinking interaction with light. We wanted to share that vision with a global audience, and the A’ Design Award offered the perfect platform for recognition and dialogue.
MX : This project reinforced the importance of patience and timing in design. Sometimes the concept is ready long before the technology is. I also learned the value of cultural blending — how insights from Savannah and Beijing, with their different emotional and technological contexts, could merge into a richer design. Above all, I was reminded that design is about more than solving problems — it’s about creating meaning.
MX : Perhaps the most important point is that Luxblade is not just about the product itself — it’s about shifting how we think about lighting as a whole. By removing the old socket, by letting people hold and carry light, by layering illumination into emotional experiences, we hope Luxblade serves as a spark for future innovations. It’s both a lamp and a design philosophy: that everyday objects can still surprise us, inspire us, and bring a little bit of romance back into daily life.
