The device, named Focus Glow, was designed by 22-year-old Amy Simcock, a product design student at Nottingham Trent University. It aims to assist individuals with conditions impacting perceptual processing during reading by emitting various colored lights.
Amy Simcock, hailing from Wantage, was inspired by her personal experiences with Meares-Irlen syndrome, also known as visual stress, a condition akin to dyslexia where words can appear jumbled on a page. She notes, “I realized something was wrong when I was in secondary school and none of my friends seemed to have the same experience. It’s almost like looking at a page where everything is jumbled and in motion. However, applying a blue overlay calms it down and removes all of the noise.”
Discovering that blue light eased her reading, Simcock found that existing products like overlays were impractical, while tinted glasses induced migraines. Thus, she created Focus Glow as an alternative, offering multiple color choices to cater to diverse needs.
Focus Glow, designed by Simcock, stands on stained hardwood legs above a desk, providing space for reading, writing, or drawing. It utilizes 12-volt RGBW LEDs and includes a rotator switch for selecting from seven colors: red, blue, green, yellow, white, pink, or orange. Additionally, a second dial lets users adjust the light’s angle and direction or pivot it for use as a mood lamp. The lamp’s casing is constructed from steel and acrylic tubing, with 3D-printed dials.
Simcock emphasizes, “According to the British Dyslexia Association, approximately 10 percent of the population has dyslexia, so it’s surprising there are not more products to assist such a vast number of individuals. And this doesn’t even consider those with visual stress and other conditions that might benefit from this invention. Thus, a light solution seemed optimal, primarily because it is adjustable to accommodate a wide array of preferences.”
Her design is slated to be publicly showcased in 2025 at the Nottingham Trent University Student Showcase, one of the UK’s largest exhibitions of graduating art and design talent.
Max Pownall, a principal lecturer in BA product design at Nottingham Trent University, remarked, “Amy has leveraged her personal encounter with visual stress to unveil a significant market gap for a product capable of benefiting millions grappling with dyslexia and comparable conditions. Her project illustrates how simple design thinking can profoundly enhance lives.”
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