David Shiller

  Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) is an engineering methodology that optimizes product design to minimize production costs and streamline assembly. By prioritizing how parts are made and put together early in the design phase, companies reduce part counts, accelerate time-to-market, and eliminate expensive downstream modifications. The methodology is divided into two complementary core disciplines: Design [...]

  The National Lighting Bureau held an AI Think Tank on April 13, 2026. It brought together a cross-section of industry leaders to examine a question rapidly shifting from theoretical to operational: how artificial intelligence will reshape the lighting sector. The consensus was unequivocal—AI is no longer a future consideration but an immediate strategic priority. [...]

  A strong trend at LEDucation in April was an emphasis on “dark light,” “dark optics,” and low-UGR performance, especially in specification-grade architectural fixtures. What began as a design preference for black finishes has evolved into a more technical conversation about visual comfort, source concealment, and controlled luminance. In these performance architectural fixtures, the finish [...]

  Motorized architectural lighting is undergoing a meaningful shift, driven by a factor that has historically constrained its adoption: fixture size. For decades, remote-controlled luminaires delivering full pan, tilt, and beam adjustment required large apertures—often exceeding 150 mm—along with substantial ceiling depth and access. As a result, the category remained largely confined to large-scale hospitality, [...]

  The phase-out of POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) copper lines matters to the lighting industry mainly where lighting depends on legacy analog communications or building-life-safety infrastructure, not for everyday general lighting. The biggest effects are on emergency lighting controls, building automation, and any older sites where lighting systems share copper POTS/landline paths with alarms, fire [...]

  Whether you’re a manufacturer, rep, distributor, specifier, or contractor, the need to generate new business is the same. You want to drive incoming leads, in quantity. An integrated sales and marketing campaign must speak directly to your target customer and identify prospects that are interested in the type of lighting solutions that you offer. [...]

  I find it hard to keep track of all the different ways that controls are evolving. Lately, I’ve noticed smart wall controls are getting significantly more feature-rich. A few examples are below. The Keilton+autani IWS102 & DWS102 by LiteTrace Brands Keilton+autani by LiteTrace Brands has transformed standard wall switches into intelligent control hubs that [...]

  Growth hacking is not just about visibility or one-off campaigns. It requires a growth-driven mindset that treats marketing as an ongoing process of testing, learning, and continuous improvement. Growth hacking is less about shortcuts and more about using data, creativity, and customer insight to turn attention into meaningful action. Digital marketing is the starting [...]

  While the data center and semi-conductor fab construction booms gets the headlines, there is also a less covered boom in infrastructure megaprojects. Many are in transportation, energy, and military projects. Examples include: The $7 billion Penn Station Transformation project in New York City. The $1.4 billion I-535 Latnik Bridge Project in Minnesota, for which [...]