SideQuest · UX case study
LightOff
Making light pollution easier to see, understand, and act on—one everyday choice at a time.
01 · The goal
Turn awareness into action.
LightOff was designed for people who live with bright city nights but may never have been asked to think about where that light goes.
Make the invisible visible
Show that the glow over New York is not just part of city life—it is pollution that changes what people can see and experience at night.
Explain without overwhelming
Turn research into plain language and strong visuals so a visitor can understand the issue without needing a science background.
Give people a next step
Move beyond awareness with a quiz and a practical guide that help visitors connect everyday lighting choices to the larger problem.
02 · The challenge
Design for a problem hiding in plain sight.
01
A problem people rarely notice
Artificial light is everywhere in New York, so it can feel normal rather than harmful. The first challenge was helping visitors recognize it as an environmental issue.
02
A global issue needed a personal scale
Statistics can explain the size of light pollution, but they do not always show someone where they fit. The experience needed to connect research to daily habits.
03
The site had to grow while I learned
I researched and designed at the same time, adding visuals, refining the homepage UX, and building content progressively instead of waiting for one perfect version.
Consistency is key!
03 · Community value
A useful starting point for brighter neighborhoods—and darker skies.
LightOff helps make an overlooked environmental issue approachable. Visitors can learn what light pollution is, reflect on their own habits through the quiz, and leave with practical ideas rather than just a warning.
How it helps
- Recognize: names light pollution as an environmental concern close to home.
- Reflect: uses an interactive quiz to connect the issue to personal choices.
- Respond: offers a practical guide with actions people can take and share.
What I learned
Build, learn, improve, repeat.
The deeper I went into the research, the more surprising the subject became. Building session by session taught me that a useful project does not need to arrive all at once—it gets stronger through consistent attention. LightOff is still something I want to revisit and grow.