A mission (im)possible

For one of our latest designs, called a touch of archery, the key feature was a customized, hemispherical, translucent pendant lighting. Which should shimmer like velvet. And the embossed patron should be slightly darker. But in a warm tone. Plus we wanted a different patron on the top of the luminaire. Which would require a very difficult mold. We couldn’t find a solution. It couldn’t be produced…

It really shimmers like velvet, the pattern is just stunning"

Marc Pochert - Senior Director Global Design Integration McDonald's Corp

Cooperation is key

Until I saw the 3D-printing capabilities of Philips MyCreation on social media. And I thought, this could be a good idea! So I gave them a buzz. I said hey this is the design, this is the task. Can you do this? Yes, they said. Sure we can. And they succeeded! With the design intent, the drawings, and the idea in mind, we started the conversation with Philips MyCreation. And did two rounds of samples. After we saw the second sample we were so close to the original design intent, we never thought that this could be possible. We had the final round of samples approved in less than 3 months! Which is an unbelievable speed when it comes to the production of a pendant light. This whole process exceeded our expectations by far.

Prioritizing sustainability

McDonald's has ambitious targets for sustainability. In 2030 we want to reduce our carbon footprint by 60%. So every element counts. After we fixed the design part we recognized that with 3D printing we would also benefit from using sustainable materials. Philips MyCreation was able to deliver sustainably on a global scale by pushing the point of production closer to the point of use. This also helps solve the huge issue of speed. We are hoping to have the Philips MyCreation lighting solution in more than 100 countries across the globe in our McDonald’s stores in 2023. From Argentina to Japan. From Alaska to Australia. Also, having no stock gives us a huge benefit: it makes us flexible and it helps reducing costs.

The results

It really shimmers like velvet. The pattern is just stunning. The way we cooperated with Signify myCreation was a great learning for us. Their capabilities. The innovation piece. We were happy to discover them as a perfect partner that can deliver on a global scale. Whenever it comes to new designs, Signify myCreation will be our first contact to create and develop unique luminaires.