We caught up with London College of Communication (LCC) BA (Hons) Interaction Design Arts students Megan Tan and Shao Xuan Tan to talk about their recent success at i Light Singapore, Asia’s leading light festival.

The festival spotlights innovative, environmentally conscious light art installations by local and international artists, with this year’s theme ‘To Gather’ inviting reflections on sustainability, connection, and regeneration.

Megan and Shao Xuan’s installation, ‘Take a walk through the meadow with me’, was selected by festival curators for this year’s lineup.

Made from discarded acrylic, the large-scale piece transforms waste into a glowing interactive garden. As visitors move through the meadow, clusters of illuminated flowers respond with bursts of light and sound — creating a sense of harmony and shared presence.

“This project was born from the belief that every person leaves a gentle yet significant mark on their surroundings,” they explained. “We wanted to create a space where people feel connected, part of something bigger — even among strangers.”

We spoke to Megan and Shao Xuan about how they developed the project — from initial concept to fabrication, the challenges of scaling up for a major international festival, and what it means to design with people and the planet in mind.

Can you tell us a bit about yourselves and how you became collaborators?

Megan: We’re both Singaporean and met during our first year on BA Interaction Design Arts at LCC. I’ve just graduated, and Shao Xuan has just finished her Diploma in Professional Studies and will be entering her final year.

Shao Xuan: We’ve been good friends since the start, but we realised we were creatively compatible while working together on a group project. We started exploring open calls — and that’s how we found i Light Singapore and decided to submit a proposal.

Tell us about ‘Take a walk through the meadow with me’. What was your inspiration behind the installation?

Shao Xuan: This year, the festival’s overall theme was ‘To Gather’. The concept of our installation was to create a place where people could come together and feel present with one another.

Megan: We were lucky to secure a space for our installation that felt surprisingly natural — framed by trees, almost like a hidden oasis in the city.

Shao Xuan: As visitors walk along a cobblestone path through the flower-filled field, their movements activate the space. Lights flicker on, and musical notes begin to play. The more people explore, the more the meadow awakens.

Being on site was magical. We knew every technical detail behind the work, but seeing it fully built and alive was amazing. Megan’s sound design sparkles across the whole 40-metre field, so you’re not just hearing your own interaction — you’re hearing the presence of others too. It really feels like you’re sharing a special, connected moment with everyone around you.

Megan: Our hope is that the collective presence of all the visitors creates something greater than the sum of its parts — a kind of harmony between strangers. That’s the heart of the piece. ‘Take a walk through the meadow with me’ is our affirmation that you are always part of something larger, and of the quiet beauty found in that connection.

What was it like working on such a large-scale public installation, and what did you learn from the process?

Megan: When we first submitted the proposal, the installation was meant to be much smaller. Because they liked the idea, they asked us to scale it up significantly, which was both exciting and a bit daunting.

Shao Xuan: It grew from a 4-by-7 metre concept to a 40-by-10 metre immersive experience with 360 flowers — which meant far more wiring and logistics than we ever imagined.

Megan: At first, we planned to build everything ourselves in London, but as the scale grew, we brought in an external contractor for fabrication, while we focused on prototyping, coding, and design.

It was our first public installation at this scale, so we had to quickly get to grips with things like technical planning and risk assessments. A big learning curve was balancing creative direction with admin, communications, and logistics — it felt like managing a full production.

Shao Xuan: We quickly learned that no matter how much you plan, you can’t fully predict how people will interact with the work. We noticed kids were especially curious — they’d grab the flowers and shake them, thinking that’s how the sensors worked! That kind of behaviour is hard to anticipate. It taught us that in public interactive work, you need to let go a bit — you just can’t control everything.

Megan: Sometimes you just have to fix things as they come up. We had technical issues with the speakers, and thankfully Shao Xuan was on-site to troubleshoot. It’s been a process of learning to adapt as we go.

How have your studies at LCC influenced your creative practice — and this project specifically?

Megan: Having previously worked together on a course project, we built a strong foundation in exploring emotional themes and audience interaction — ideas that carried through into this installation. Our course also taught us technical skills like physical computing and creative coding, which helped us understand what was feasible when building an interactive installation like this.

Being at LCC gave us access to amazing facilities and support. Tutors and technicians were always on hand to help — especially with outdoor setup, which was new to us. Technical guidance, like how to waterproof lighting, made a big difference. Big shout out to the 3D Workshop!

Shao Xuan: When we first started thinking about applying to open calls, we reached out to our course leader, Joel, to ask for advice. His insights on budgeting, large-scale planning and managing expectations really shaped how we approached the proposal. It was invaluable to have that kind of specific knowledge and support within the university community.

Why was it important for you to use discarded materials in your installation?

Shao Xuan: The piece itself is made from upcycled acrylic waste. We’ve spent a lot of time in the 3D Workshop at LCC, where offcuts often pile up. Some get reused by students, but the more awkward shapes tend to sit there. It felt like a fun challenge to turn those into something meaningful.

Sustainability was also a big focus for i Light Singapore. In our own practice, we try to think about circular design — like what happens to our work after it’s finished. Installations aren’t easy to store or keep, so we ask ourselves: Can we reuse this for another open call? Can we avoid buying new materials? Can we make it from something we already have? That kind of thinking really influenced how we approached the project.

What did it mean for you to bring this project home to Singapore?

Megan: i Light is an annual festival we’ve both followed for years. When the open call came out, we were excited — it felt like a great opportunity to bring what we’d learned at university back home in a meaningful way. That made the experience especially important to us. Also, with hundreds of flowers to install outdoors, having our families’ support was a huge help.

Shao Xuan: At the opening, I spoke with the festival organisers who were really pleased to have local artists featured in the main lineup. Most applicants are international, and usually more students apply to the student open call— so it was great to see local talent included in the main festival too.

What was it like seeing the public interact with your installation?

Shao Xuan: One thing Megan and I didn’t expect was how much kids would love the piece! When we were designing it, we were thinking more generally about how people might feel — focusing on the soundscape, the look and feel of the flowers, and the layout. But it turns out children have really connected with it in such a joyful way.

Because many of them are shorter than the flowers, the experience becomes really immersive — like they’re running through a magical forest. It’s been lovely to watch.

Another thing that surprised us was hearing people react out loud — like gasping when the flowers light up or when the sound plays. We’ve been so close to the project for so long that we’d almost forgotten how it might feel to experience it fresh. Witnessing those real-time reactions has been really rewarding.

How has this experience shaped your creative practice — and what’s next for you both?

Shao Xuan: This experience was really eye-opening. It helped me realise I don’t have to choose between a traditional 9-to-5 job and creative projects — I can balance both. I also made valuable connections with other artists, which gave me new perspectives on my career path after graduation.

Megan: It was our most interactive project yet, and balancing the festival with other commitments taught us a lot about time management and patience. The real reward came after months of hard work, seeing people genuinely connect with our art.

We’re planning to submit the installation to other festivals and hope to see it travel. We definitely want to collaborate again — even if we don’t know on what yet. Working with a friend made the whole process enjoyable and gave us something positive to focus on despite our busy schedules.

Do you have any advice for other students wanting to showcase their work in public festivals?

Shao Xuan: Just apply for everything you see, even if you don’t feel ready or qualified. We didn’t get into another festival before this and felt discouraged, but applying taught us so much. Big festivals want to support you and help you learn — so don’t be afraid to try.

Megan: As students, you won’t know everything about the process at first, and that’s okay. The important thing is to take the chance. You’ll figure things out along the way, gain confidence, and grow.

Related links:

• See more from our Design School.
• Discover BA (Hons) Interaction Design Arts at LCC.
• Follow Megan’s Instagram, Shao Xuan’s Instagram and the Artwork Instagram.
• Learn more about i Light Singapore.