Miss Me Hits Home With Creative Lighting Designs

In the world of manufacturing today, there are few truisms more uncontested than the importance of innovation to survival. "In the manufacturing industry, you can't remain unchanged for long. Otherwise, you will be left far behind and soon disappear," says Sophia Kung, founder and general manager of Miss Me Industrial Co., a design-oriented lighting manufacturing company in Taiwan.

According to Kung, the lighting industry has undergone a sea change from the old days when lamps were basic lighting tools with equally basic designs. Technological developments and new materials have redefined the lighting market in recent years, introducing a new level of functionality and aesthetic considerations. These changes have affected both bulbs and the lamps in which they are screwed.

Between aggressive advertising and multiplying choices, consumers have become increasingly discriminating about the types of lighting products they buy. Many look for novelty and distinctiveness, meaning that manufacturers have to constantly dream up new product ideas.

"Surviving in this highly demanding market is a huge challenge for most lighting manufacturers," Kung says. "Manufacturers have to rack their brains to develop unique products to keep their customers happy."


Breaking the OEM Mold

Established in 1997, Miss Me was an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of mass-produced lighting products during its first few years. "That kind of manufacturing is dull, laborious, uninteresting, and not very profitable," notes Kung. "I didn't see any future in it, so after a few years I turned to the manufacture of innovative lamps that called for a creative element."

With her long shining dark hair, slender figure and sharp bright eyes, Kung gives the impression more of a high-powered city metropolitan executive than a "black-hand" manufacturer in a traditional industry like lighting. In fact, she is an instinctive designer that is thoroughly devoted to succeeding in the lighting industry. " I love to create lighting products the way a fish loves water," Kung says with a smile.

"Honestly speaking, it's risky to shift from steady production on an OEM basis to the creation of 'unpredictable' innovative products," Kung says. "It took some guts to make the plunge, and there were certainly setbacks early on. But now the company is running well and we are starting to reap the fruits of our leap of faith."

Kung's lamp designs draw on an amazing variety of materials, though in a nod to environment-protection concerns she prefers working with natural materials, such as paper and specially treated fabrics, from silk and linen to synthetic fibers. These materials are not only Earth-friendly, but also provide a soft and romantic ambiance. "I take the designing of lighting products as a creative challenge. I feel energized and excited by the process of dreaming up new lamp designs," Kung says.

Indeed, Kung is actively involved in almost every step of the product-development process at Miss Me, from design concept to the selection of materials and the manufacturing process. "When we are creating a new lamp," she explains, "I can let my imagination run wild because there's no limit to the materials and shape of such lamps. It gives me a sense of happiness and meaning to be engaged in a creative world."



Zen and the Art of Lamp Design

As in any creative world, progress does not come without challenges and the designer's equivalent of writer's block. "In the process of forming a new concept, I sometimes hit a bottleneck and get depressed. To pick myself up again, I often meditate or take a walk in the woods or mountain to refresh my mind. These escapes often inspire new ideas," Kung says.

Kung believes that a creative person needs a child's curiosity, taking interest in everything one is exposed to. Such always-open eyes, she says, provides endless inspiration in one's work, whatever it may be. "The world inspires us and we can then go on to create novel things that enrich the world," she says.

To her natural curiosity, Kung adds a sincere commitment to caring for the environment. "If we are going to keep living on this planet, we need to take care of the environment and make products that can be recycled or can harmlessly biodegrade."

In recent years Kung has spared no efforts in searching for natural materials to go with her creative lamps. Her cloth-shaded lamps became an overnight hit in Taiwan after the devastating earthquake on Sept. 21, 1999. "Luxurious glass chandeliers and pendant lamps fell and hit people during the earthquake. Our cloth lamps are lighter and safer, so they have become new favorites in the market," Kung says.



Fishing for Ideas


Currently Miss Me is promoting Kung's newly developed cloth lamps, featuring marine motifs such as abalone, octopus, prawns, scallops, and jellyfish. Red, yellow, and gold are theme colors of such new series of lamps. "The three colors are often used for party and festival decorations, creating a fun atmosphere," Kung says.

Miss Me's yellow jellyfish-shaped lamps come in ceiling and floor models, as well as in different sizes. The company's red scallop shell-shaped lamps have proven popular at restaurants and hotels for wedding and celebration parties. "The cloth covers of our lamps are hand-sewed and the metal frames are individually molded, so it takes at least two-and-a-half days to finish one lamp," Kung notes.

Currently Taiwan and Japan are Miss Me's two major markets. "People in Taiwan are more open-minded now," Kung says. "They are willing to try new things and to accept novel lamps." Kung also has her eyes on the huge mainland Chinese market, especially the more affluent large cities there.

In the future Kung plans to cooperate with mainland Chinese lighting manufacturers to develop high-added-value artistic crystal lamps.

In this ever-changing world, every day opens new windows of possibility for Kung. "The world is so unpredictable, and like a curious kid I feel interested in almost everything that happens around me," she says. "Each day I search for new things and new ideas to use in spinning my dream for the lighting world."