The pixel is inspiring all sorts of design lately. We seem to be enamored of the digital picture element, the tiny units that correspond to secret coordinates. These smallest of controllable picture pieces get represented as squares or dots—another reason we love these particles. In the new millennium, pixels are becoming the elements of the future. I like to imagine some gifted graphic designer developing a neoteric Periodic Table of Elements, wherein each element represents some measure of digital visual representation—a subpixel or fractal, vector or macroblock. Maybe one of the elements could be checkerboarding. Let’s see if anyone takes up that project.

Mobil Pixel Lamp. Designed by Istaván Kulinyi.

In the meantime, we can celebrate the pixilated designs that celebrate the digital segments. We’ve seen everything from pixelated couches to pixelated rugs, pixelated boxes to pixelated lamps. Hungarian designer and artist Istaván Kulinyi is also taking up the particle cause. His Mobil Pixel Lamp of 2009 uses colored squares to represent our favorite digital units. These illuminated boxes can be flipped in order to change colors from white to black to orange. Turn the components of Mobil Pixel Lamp to create different illuminated designs every day. Kulinyi’s lamp measures 5 x 5 x 3, although I don’t know if that refers to the overall dimensions of the light or to the layout of the pieces (there are 5 blocks across and 5 blocks down, leaving only the 3 in question). Mobil Pixel Lamp lets you play with the pesky little pixels, giving you the control you wish you had over all those images with disturbed resolutions.