Nod Light is the newest table lamp by German product designer Simon Frambach. The name is derived from Frambach’s clever decision of combining function and aesthetic into one minimal movement that makes the lamp lift its shade up and down, mimicking the act of nodding.

The design is void of any functional accessories such as a power slider; instead, that is already embedded in the position of the lamp’s nod. It is brightest when the head is uplifted, and the power gradually lessens as the head lowers, until it turns off by itself. That smart function gives the lamp a clean outlook, almost symmetrical with its circular base mirroring the top shade. By using a fine and thin strip of LED lights around an acrylic reflector, the light is distributed evenly for a soft lumination.

Holding these two circles together is an aluminium column that strengthens the appearance of the design with its thickness. Contrasting itself against the thinness of the base and top, the column is the hero of this design, hiding away the technical portion of the lamp.

It is no surprise that Nod Light has won the Designplus Award. Its simplicity and modernity has embraced the cliché function that we expected from regular household objects. Frambach should be proud of this minimal design; it’s one of my favourite table lamps, for sure.