The LED bulb has been with us for decades, but it's been on a long journey from humble, utilitarian origins as automotive and gadget light to sophisticated lighting fixtures in high-end design. With lower prices and higher efficiency than before, LEDs are looking like the wave of the future for general lighting. They're not there quite yet. But that's about to change.

　　LED已經問世十幾年了，但這種燈泡一開始只是作為一種實用性工具，比如汽車和電器的燈泡，過了很久才用來做為高端設計的復雜照明設備。隨著LED燈具價格的降低，發光效率的提高，它已經被視為未來照明的主流設備。雖然目前這一幕還沒有變成現實，但這一切或許即將發生改變。

　　The market for LEDs for general purposes is expected to quadruple in the next five years according to McKinsey and Company. While for many that will mean simply replacing incandescent bulbs in existing lamps, designers showing at New York's recent Design Week have different ideas. Taking advantage of new possibilities provided by LEDs' compact size, low heat, range of color temperatures, and flexibility, as well as lower pricing and standardization in manufacturing, designers are exploring new territory beyond the traditional bulb-and-shade format and redefining what it means to be a lamp.

　　據麥肯錫公司（McKinsey）預計，未來五年，LED普通照明市場的規模將達到現在的四倍。雖然對于大部分人來說，這一點僅僅意味著把家里的白熾燈泡換成LED燈泡，但是在最近紐約設計周上，設計師們卻向人們展示了更多別具一格的創意。LED燈有著體積緊湊、發熱少、色溫范圍廣、功能豐富以及價格便宜和便于標準化生產的特點，因而設計師可以利用這些特點突破傳統燈泡的光影模式，重新闡釋燈具的意義。

　　Seed Lamp by Nervous System. "3D printing allows us to create a complex organic form and the compact size of LEDs was key."

　　Nervous System設計的“萌芽燈具”系列：“三維打印技術能令我們創造出復雜的有機體造型，而LED緊湊的體積是這一切的關鍵所在。”