Light, Reflection, and Self-Perception: An Investigation of Self-Perception in Retail Fitting Rooms
Authors
Nielsen, Helene Snedsted ; Petkeviciute, Beatrice
Term
4. Term
Education
Publication year
2026
Submitted on
2026-05-26
Pages
125
Abstract
Lighting strongly shapes retail experiences, yet fitting rooms often receive less attention than the sales floor. Because customers assess both clothing and their own appearance there, the fitting room is a key meeting point between light and self-perception. This thesis examines how lighting in retail fitting rooms can support positive self-perception. The study combines a literature review, fieldwork, simulations, and laboratory testing. The review identified three connected focus areas: self-perception, form modelling (how light and shadow reveal the shape of the face and body), and atmosphere (the room’s mood). A field study of seven fitting rooms in Copenhagen included photometric measurements (to capture light levels and distribution), false-colour luminance mapping (color-coded images showing where surfaces appear brighter or darker), semantic differential surveys (rating scales for perceptions), and in-store interviews. By comparing measured light with people’s impressions, the study identified recurring links between lighting conditions and customer experience and synthesized them into three design gaps. Based on these insights, lighting hypotheses were developed and tested through DIALux simulations and a full-scale laboratory mock-up. Participants evaluated different lighting scenarios using a questionnaire structured around the three focus areas. The results informed a practical fitting-room lighting proposal and a set of design principles. Findings indicate that successful fitting-room experiences depend not only on illuminance, but also on how light is distributed, how faces and bodies are rendered, and how the room’s atmosphere is perceived. The thesis contributes a design-oriented framework for understanding fitting-room lighting through the interconnected lenses of self-perception, form modelling, and atmosphere.
Belysning former i høj grad butikskunderes oplevelser, men prøverummet får ofte mindre opmærksomhed end salgsarealet. Fordi kunder her vurderer både tøjet og deres eget udseende, er prøverummet et vigtigt møde mellem lys og selvopfattelse. Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan belysning i detailprøverum kan støtte en positiv selvopfattelse. Undersøgelsen kombinerer litteraturstudie, feltarbejde, simulationer og laboratorieforsøg. Litteraturstudiet pegede på tre forbundne fokusområder: selvopfattelse, formmodellering (hvordan lys og skygge fremhæver former i ansigt og krop) og atmosfære (rummets stemning). Et feltstudie af syv prøverum i København omfattede fotometriske målinger (måling af lysniveauer og fordeling), falskfarve-luminanskortlægning (farvekodede billeder, der viser, hvor lyset opleves stærkere eller svagere), semantiske differentialsundersøgelser (ratingskalaer for oplevelser) og interviews i butikken. Ved at sammenholde målinger og oplevelsesdata blev tilbagevendende sammenhænge mellem lysforhold og kundeoplevelser identificeret og samlet i tre designmæssige mangler. På den baggrund blev en række belysningshypoteser udviklet og testet med DIALux-simuleringer og en fuldskala laboratoriemodel. Deltagere vurderede forskellige lysopsætninger via et spørgeskema struktureret omkring de tre fokusområder. Resultaterne dannede grundlag for et forslag til prøverumsbelysning og et sæt designprincipper. Fundene viser, at gode prøverumsoplevelser ikke kun handler om belysningsstyrke, men også om, hvordan lyset er fordelt, hvordan ansigt og krop bliver gengivet, og hvordan rummets atmosfære opfattes. Specialet bidrager med en designorienteret ramme for at forstå prøverumsbelysning gennem de sammenkoblede perspektiver: selvopfattelse, formmodellering og atmosfære.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]