Rob,
Partner of Maike Jeuken. Participant #4

Rob is the partner of journalist Maike Jeuken, who tested the Sparckel lamp for the Good Light Group. He took the opportunity to work in this “good light” himself. For three weeks, the lamp illuminated his home workspace.

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What does your workspace look like?

Rob: “The basement of our house was originally the music room. My mancave, where I could drum and play the piano. During the COVID period, it was forced to become my workspace. Not ideal, but it could have been worse. I saw people who, in a busy household with home schooling, retreated to the bathroom just to have a ‘quiet’ conversation. So actually, I was doing quite well down there in the basement.”

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Was there enough daylight in your temporary workspace?

“No, there’s hardly any daylight in the basement, but that didn’t bother me at the time. With a few lamps and my PC, I could work there in peace. Every two hours, I would crawl out of my ‘cave’ to stretch my legs or get a coffee. At the top of the basement stairs, I did notice how bright it was outside and how dark it was down below. But back then I thought: surely the lockdown won’t last that long anyway?”

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Had you ever used a daylight lamp before?

“Honestly, I mainly associated it with photography. I wasn’t familiar with daylight lamps for the home or workplace. And I was quite sceptical — what exactly is ‘good light’? At the same time, I was curious: what difference would a daylight lamp make in my temporary workspace? Especially down in that basement.”

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How did you experience working with ‘good light’?
“It was a completely different experience. I felt much fitter and could work more comfortably. It really affected my concentration — I was more focused. During video meetings, I would dim the lamp a bit because my very pale face could be quite a shock on screen. After the meeting, I’d turn the brightness back up again. The only downside was that I had to give the lamp back. From that moment on, I no longer find this a pleasant workspace. The difference is huge.”