The Underworld Collective

Lantern

Overview

This lantern was developed as an interactive physical artifact, designed and led by Sejeong. It reflects the evolving tone of our narrative through shifting visuals and light, serving both as a functional prop and a storytelling device. What began as a rough exploration of multiple ideas evolved into a refined, laser-cut piece that allows viewers to rotate between scenes embedded in the story’s world.

Ideation & Selection

The initial concept phase included 11 different design ideas, each sketched out to explore different symbolic, functional, and aesthetic possibilities. Among these were a hanging flame lamp with layered cutouts, a 3D cube lantern, and a mirrored lantern that reflected candlelight. After team discussion, two ideas stood out: one where scenes could be swapped to reflect different narrative moments, and another that presented the story in written form across the lantern’s faces. While both ideas received interest, the team collectively leaned toward the scene-switching lantern for its visual engagement and storytelling clarity. We decided to move forward with this concept.

Rough Sketches

With the idea selected, we translated the concept into a real-world scale by sketching out rough mechanical drafts by hand. These sketches focused on structural practicality and scene alignment.

Design Development

Using Adobe Illustrator, we created precise vector files for laser cutting. The lantern was designed to be modular, allowing three narrative scenes to slide into view one at a time, like turning pages in a book—but illuminated.

Illustrations

The lantern features three key illustrations, all drawn by Bella, each representing a pivotal moment in the narrative. The first shows Persephone gazing longingly out the window, symbolizing isolation and longing. The second captures the pirate ship sailing across the sea, setting the tone for transition and adventure. The third depicts Hades at the helm, guiding the ship forward—an image of control and quiet power. These illustrations were designed with clarity and symbolism in mind, making them ideal for laser engraving and backlit storytelling.

Illustrations

Production & Iteration

In the first attempt, all lines were set to cut, which caused structural issues and removed important visual details. To fix this, we revised the file by separating cuts and engraves—using cuts for the outer shapes and engraves for finer details like facial features and clothing. The second version successfully preserved clarity while adding depth, and allowed light to pass through in a way that enhanced the storytelling effect.

Failed Pieces

In the initial laser cut, the pirate ship scene—done entirely with cut lines—lost nearly all of its recognisable detail, making the ship nearly impossible to identify. Once engraving was introduced, the clarity improved significantly, but new issues emerged. In the Hades scene, his hand was accidentally cut off due to misplaced path lines, requiring another round of Illustrator adjustments and re-cutting. These failed pieces highlighted the importance of fine-tuning file preparation and layering, ultimately leading to a more precise and expressive final product.

Final Pieces

The final lantern panels were created using a refined mix of engraving and cutting. This approach allowed us to preserve delicate visual details while maintaining the structural integrity of each piece. For the ship scene in particular, engraving directly onto wood failed to capture the level of intricacy we needed. As a solution, we engraved the ship onto paper instead and layered it onto the wooden panel—achieving both clarity and texture. The result is a set of scenes that are visually expressive and technically sound, especially when lit from within.

Final Design