Lighting Design

  By Richard Kovac, COO, Golden Lighting The following white paper excerpt is reprinted with permission from Golden Lighting. Abstract: Fixture-scale mistakes are the single most common lighting error in real homes, and they persist because most sizing advice gives homeowners one formula when the problem actually has three variables. This white paper lays out the [...]

  By Yang Lan, International Market Manager, Star Factory Lantern A daytime attraction is read through movement, surface detail and close-range interaction. After dark, silhouette, brightness, color relationships, viewing distance and control strategy take over. Planning both modes together can make outdoor attractions more coherent, serviceable and flexible. At Night, the Design Priority Changes Outdoor [...]

  Neuroscience-informed design positions illumination as a practical tool for reducing cognitive load, strengthening wayfinding, and giving students greater control over their learning environments. As higher-education institutions focus more closely on student well-being, retention, and academic success, neuroinclusive design is moving beyond its traditional accessibility role. Campus environments are beginning to acknowledge the many ways [...]

Figure 1. Feasibility boundaries for achieving 250 m-EDI.   By Bill Chan, President, LiteController Inc. Shortly after my recent IES FIRES article, “Circadian Lighting in Offices: Feasibility Boundaries and Design Trade-Offs” was published, an architectural lighting designer left a comment on LinkedIn: “Nowadays, it’s getting [to be] a real Mission Impossible!” That brief comment perfectly [...]

  “Shadow” is best understood as a lighting-design methodology that intentionally uses shadow as a design material, not as a flaw to eliminate. In practice, it means shaping light so shadows help define form, depth, texture, atmosphere, and emotional tone rather than simply filling everything with uniform brightness. Traditional lighting often tries to reduce shadows. Shadow-based [...]

  Digital marketing firm, Unframed Digital, has published a 2026 report, Transparency Wins The Spec: How Product Brands Build Designer Trust Online. The report is based on a survey of 783 U.S. design professionals. Key survey findings include: 98 to 99% of design professionals shop for products online. 54% discover products through organic search. 59% [...]

  Color Kinetics (a Signify brand) has published a new application guide Illuminating Bridges. The Guide emphasizes that bridges are more than transport links, they are civic symbols, visual landmarks, and increasingly, experiential spaces. Thoughtful lighting plays a critical role in defining how these structures are perceived after dark. Done well, it enhances safety, reinforces [...]

  By Mariel Acevedo, MIES – ALR & Amanda Schaneman, MIES – ETC Trauma informed design (TID) is a newer form of practice in the architectural community.  It’s been around since 2013 and is gaining traction in all kinds of building types.  As the work becomes more prominent, the lighting community should understand the language [...]

  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 [...]