Illumination + Information
Light is an omnipresent force that shapes our world in ways we often take for granted. It illuminates our surroundings, guides our paths, and influences our productivity. From oil lamps to electric bulbs, each innovation has transformed our environment and shaped our world in ways we often take for granted. Despite its all-encompassing presence, we rarely give it a second thought, till we find ourselves in darkness or in need of clarity. From the gentle glow of a sunrise that awakens us, to the focused beam of a desk lamp that aids us as we work through the night, light is a silent companion that enhances our experiences and interactions.
You may now be asking – what does light have to do with Microsoft? How does light relate to computing and information? Well, more than you know. As American philosopher Susanne K. Langer once said, “Most new discoveries are suddenly seen things that were always there. A new idea is a light that illuminates presences which simply had no form before the light fell on them.”
Unlikely Kindred Spirits
When we think of revolutionaries in lighting design, we think of Artemide. With a legacy spanning over half a century, Artemide has redefined how we think about light, space, and balance. Their design philosophy centers around the vision “The Human and Responsible Light”, where people and their wellbeing take center stage in respect of the planet’s resources. This has led to iconic designs that blend functionality with artistic expression, such as the Tolomeo and Tizio lamps. Artemide’s influence extends beyond mere illumination. Their research and innovation have generated products that have transformed lighting into an integral element of interior design, shaping the ambiance and mood of spaces around the world.
It is in these design principles and philosophy that Microsoft found an unlikely kindred spirit in Artemide at Salone del Mobile Milano. Salone is the largest design trade fair that has become synonymous with cutting-edge design, innovation, and global creativity. Wandering the floors of the exhibition, the Microsoft AI, Cloud, Device Experiences (ACDX) team first bumped into Carlotta de Bevilacqua, President and CEO of Artemide, in 2022. It started with just casual conversations injected with an exchange of design philosophies. Artemide’s work, especially the Tolomeo lamp, has long inspired the ACDX team with its perfectly balanced mechanism and timeless design that compliments any architecture it resides in. It reminded the team of when Microsoft developed the Surface Studio, aspiring to the same ideal of balance, embodied in an iconic hinge that allows the large display to move effortlessly between the Desktop and Studio mode.
Both Microsoft and Artemide stayed connected and returned to Salone the following year, where the relationship further blossomed. The shared passion for product-making and design, and a vision of bringing together technology and illumination in a way that had never been done before, continued to bring these two industry leaders closer.
“Light is primal. It shapes our perception, our spaces, our world,” Tim Escolin, Senior Design Director of ACDX shares when considering the interplay of light and technology. “In many ways, light is like data – essential, yet invisible until we choose to notice it. It is something we rely on without question, just like technology today. This analogy drew us in. We saw the profound overlap between illumination and computing – both foundational to the human experience.”
This mutual commitment turned a chance meeting into the start of an incredible collaboration among friends that share the same passion.
Dissolving Technology
A few months after Salone, designers and researchers from Artemide flew from the fashion-forward streets of Milan to the serene, tree-lined Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington. Both teams eagerly reunited to explore how the intersection of light and information could transform the way we live, work, and feel. Innovation begins with imagination, and to create new possibilities one must first dream. There was no specific outcome or product that they were hoping to achieve or build at the end of the interaction. Rather, the goal was to envision a future where technology becomes a natural extension of space, where light and data flowed seamlessly in the background and where environments adapted to the user instead of the other way around.
Light is made up of both waves and photons. Varying wavelengths help us see different colored lights, influencing how we feel, and photons transmit information, helping us communicate efficiently. When exploring how to dissolve technology into our surroundings to create meaningful human experiences, what better way is there to do so than through light? Rich conversations about the future of design, the potential role of light, and the integration of technology into human environments were some of the many topics that were explored. “It was so refreshing to think outside of our typical wheelhouse (designing hardware and software experiences within a ‘computer’ form factor),” says Kait Schoeck, Principal Designer of ACDX, when reflecting on the collaboration. “To shift and think about how we can illuminate information and spaces more broadly, we were able to really stretch how we think about computing and designing the future of AI and cloud experiences.”
Over the years, active discussions between Microsoft and Artemide about marrying light with Cloud and AI capabilities have led to explorations around ambient computing. Ambient computing is a concept that revolves around the seamless integration of technology into our surroundings to automate tasks and enhance our daily lives. How would ambient computing experiences through illumination feel? What would leveraging lighting devices, data analytics, and AI to create personalized experiences for users look like? How would elevating productivity through computing, space, and light feel like? What started out as an exploration and experimentation of possibilities slowly evolved into concrete ideas and prototyping.
Enduring Beauty
When Laura Pessoni, Head of Innovation Design, Artemide, is asked what the company looks for in a creative partner, she responds, “One driver is innovation linked to high quality manufacturing and enduring beauty. A product that through the beauty of design and the harmony of design can really last over time and maintain a continuous and long-lasting relationship with the user.”
Artemide’s design principle of “enduring beauty” is one that deeply resonates with ACDX. The amount of legacy, family culture, and pride that Artemide has injected into every single product they design is awe-inspiring. “Think of a Tolomeo lamp, which has been on the market for almost 40 years and is still considered as modern,” says Escolin. “We were romancing the idea that hey, just like this lamp is a family heirloom that could be passed down for generations, can we bring computing along?”
The concept of longevity and the pride of creating a potential heirloom capable of computing power was riveting. It opened a door towards thinking about what computing could look like without a computer on every desk. In this new revolution of AI and multimodal input, user interactions with technology are no longer bound by screens. Designing computing experiences integrated into everyday objects, like a lamp, thus felt like a natural evolution and an area worth exploring.
“What is really innovative is what can overcome the passing of time and can always have a relationship with people through time,” says Diego Martinelli, Marketing, Artemide, when asked what he aspires to achieve in this collaboration with Microsoft. “In the future, we hope to design an iconic product of timeless beauty that is able to send and update information and data through photons and the cloud.”
Bringing Ideas to Life
Human’s relationship with light is deeply rooted in our evolution. Our bodies’ circadian rhythms are inherently based on the waxing and waning of light during earth’s daily rotations. The discovery of fire brought warmth and security, extending our activities into the night, and fostering social interactions around campfires. As we evolved, so did our use of light. And as we continue to evolve, Microsoft’s technological vision and Artemide’s mastery of light are perfect complements in a journey of imagining entirely new possibilities.
The deep synergy between both companies co-designing together has led to the excitement of numerous possibilities and the potential to create something far greater than either could alone. “It’s like a creative dance where every step builds on the last,” says Escolin. “We move from conceptual discussions to hands-on creation, jamming through platforms like Teams, and then coming together in person to bring those ideas to life. Every interaction brings us closer to something new and unexpected.” With a common approach around creating experiences that are not just functional, but transformative and intuitive to human needs, both Artemide and ACDX are now actively working towards an installation at Salone in 2025.
Special thanks to Laura Pessoni (Head of Innovation Design) and Diego Martinelli (Head of Marketing) from Artemide who shared their time and insights on their collaborative journey with Microsoft.
Photo credits: Daniel Escolin (Creative Director, Visual Design Microsoft)