Virtual Lighting Design Community

• The Hidden Pillars of Successful Lighting Design Businesses | with Paul Nulty

  Send us a textWhat does it really take to run a successful lighting design business? Beyond the creative brilliance and technical expertise lies a complex web of business skills that many designers never anticipate when launching their own practice.---Re-release of a presentation from our 'Business of Lighting Design' series from the first season on the VLD Community platform.  To watch this presentation visit members.vld.community and head to the 'Season One - The Business of Lighting Design' section.  --- In this presentation, award-winning lighting designer Paul Nulty (founder of Nulty Lighting) pulls back the curtain on the business fundamentals that separate thriving lighting design practices from struggling ones. Drawing from his own entrepreneurial journey spanning over two decades, Paul introduces a straightforward yet powerful four-pillar business model that forms the backbone of any successful design practice.The revelation that actual lighting design work constitutes merely 25% of running a business serves as both a reality check and roadmap for aspiring practice owners. Through candid insights and practical wisdom, Paul details how Operations, Human Resources, Business Development, and Finance must work in harmony—with each demanding equal time and attention from practice leaders.For many creative professionals, topics like sales strategies, financial management, and team building feel foreign or uncomfortable. Yet Paul makes a compelling case for embracing these skills not only for personal success but for elevating the entire lighting design profession. His refreshing honesty about his own limitations ("I want to be the worst person at everything in my practice") offers a powerful lesson in leveraging team strengths.Beyond tactical advice, this presentation delves into the deeper questions of purpose and passion that should drive any business endeavor. Paul guides listeners through crafting meaningful vision and mission statements that serve as both compass and fuel for the entrepreneurial journey.Whether you're contemplating starting your own lighting design practice or seeking to strengthen an existing one, this presentation delivers the framework and inspiration to transform creative talent into business success. The path may be challenging, but with passion, purpose, and professional acumen, the business of lighting design offers rewards well worth the journey.Support the showLearn more about our community by visiting www.vld.communityFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more like this, please signup, subscribe and would appreciate a 5-star review!

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• What's on the platform: Your July Community Roundup

  Send us a textEnter our world of lighting design with our latest community roundup. We're thrilled to welcome a wave of new members to our growing community, creating an increasingly diverse group of lighting professionals sharing insights and inspiration.Mark your calendars for two webinars approaching: Sarvdeep Basur presents "Preserving Darkness" on July 24th, hosted by the Signify Lighting Academy, which explores the balance between design excellence and environmental responsibility.  Henk Rotman presents "The Growing Role of Controls" on July 25th, hosted by BHA School of Lighting, examining how technology is reshaping professional roles within our industry. The highlight of this episode features a conversation between Martin Klaasen and Juan Ferrari discussing AI's transformative impact on lighting design. Juan, who directs a team of 25 lighting designers after transitioning from a theatrical background, offers a practical perspective on embracing AI as a powerful tool rather than viewing it as a threat. His journey from actor to lighting director illustrates how diverse experiences enhance creative approaches to lighting narratives in architectural spaces. "Everybody using AI is not cheating," Juan emphasises. "They're using a tool that is powering and amplifying what they're doing."We also spotlight an exciting international opportunity – the design competition for ornamental lighting at the UNESCO World Heritage Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, with submissions open until August 19th. Finally, don't miss our preview of the upcoming Business of Lighting Design episode featuring Paul Nulty, who shares candid insights about the diverse skill set required to run a successful lighting design practice.Join our community at members.vldcommunity.com to access these resources and connect with fellow professionals. Creative Lighting AsiaA leading provider of architectural lighting design and implementation solutions. Support the showLearn more about our community by visiting www.vld.communityFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more like this, please signup, subscribe and would appreciate a 5-star review!

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• Changing Perspective Changes Everything: The Future of Light with Daan Roosegaarde

  Send us a textWhat happens when light beams collide at high speed? They can transform into matter – possibly explaining how celestial bodies form. This mind-blowing scientific reality perfectly captures the spirit of our conversation with Daan Roosegaarde, the visionary lighting designer who, despite being kicked out of fine art school twice, found his calling in pushing the boundaries of what light can achieve.In his discussion with Martin Klaasen, Daan weaves through the fascinating parallel between resistance to new ideas and Galileo's revolutionary assertion that Earth orbits the sun – a perspective shift that took humanity 500 years to accept (and we still say "sunrise" despite knowing better). Daan argues that similar perspective transformations are essential in lighting design, where challenging established viewpoints can unlock unprecedented innovation. By bringing together diverse minds at events like Lux Futurum in Shanghai later this year, the lighting community creates space for these paradigm shifts to occur.The future of lighting extends far beyond illumination. We're merely "scratching the surface" of light's potential to heal, create new dimensions, and allow us to experience the world through entirely different perspectives – imagine seeing through a butterfly's eyes while remaining human. Daan's passion for continued experimentation stems from his conviction that these innovations will fundamentally transform our relationship with our environment and ourselves. As he prepares to take the stage in Shanghai, his message resonates clearly: changing how we perceive light might just change everything else. Support the showLearn more about our community by visiting www.vld.communityFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more like this, please signup, subscribe and would appreciate a 5-star review!

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• How Lighting Transforms Patient Experience in Hong Kong's Health Centres | with Eugenia Cheng

  Send us a textThe divide between theory and practice in healthcare design couldn't be more evident than in lighting strategies for medical spaces. Through an illuminating exploration of two contrasting Hong Kong medical facilities, we discover how the same foundational goal—promoting health and wellbeing—manifests in dramatically different design approaches based on context, clientele, and purpose.Most fascinating is how these case studies challenge our assumptions about "clinical" environments. The first project, Laguna City Medical Center, completely reimagines what a neighbourhood GP clinic can feel like. Located in a windowless basement serving diverse demographics, its designers rejected sterile lighting conventions in favour of bright, joyful spaces with curved elements and simulated daylight. The lighting strategy thoughtfully distinguishes between waiting areas (using indirect, warmer lighting to reduce anxiety) and examination rooms (featuring direct illumination with higher colour temperatures for clinical accuracy). This approach transforms what could have been a drab medical office into a space that actively contributes to healing.The contrast with Cosmax Cosmetic Centre couldn't be more striking. This high-end aesthetic medical facility in Hong Kong's Central Business District serves an elite clientele seeking discretion and luxury. Rather than brightness, its lighting design employs dramatic shadows, minimal direct illumination, and carefully crafted privacy through light and darkness. Patients move through a choreographed journey from reception to treatment to recovery, with lighting that simultaneously guides and shields them from view—particularly important for celebrity clients who don't want to be recognised post-procedure.What makes this examination so valuable is its reminder that good design isn't about rigid adherence to standards or benchmarks, but about understanding human needs within specific contexts. Whether creating an affordable neighbourhood clinic that radiates positivity or an exclusive medical sanctuary that prioritises privacy, thoughtful lighting transforms how we experience healthcare spaces. Ready to rethink what your medical environments could feel like? These case studies prove that with empathy and creativity, every healthcare space can be designed to truly support wellbeing.Support the showLearn more about our community by visiting www.vld.communityFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more like this, please signup, subscribe and would appreciate a 5-star review!

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• The Lighting Professional's Challenge: a conversation with Andrew Bissel

  Send us a textA passionate conversation with Andrew Bissel at Light Middle East reveals the growing frustration among lighting professionals fighting for recognition in the built environment. Wearing multiple hats as Ridge and Partners' lighting design head, a dark sky consultant for Red Sea Global, and past president of the Society of Light and Lighting, Andrew delivers a candid assessment of where the industry stands today.Quote of the day:“We need this participation of advocates, we need the certification for a business model and we need the legislation from government to drive certain industries, because they won’t drive themselves. But you also need the lighting professional.” — Andrew BisselThis interview was recorded at Light Middle East in Dubai in 2024. Although it's been a little over a year, the insights and expertise Andrew shares are timeless and incredibly relevant today.The discussion highlights a painful truth: despite decades of education and advocacy, lighting remains "the forgotten person around the design table." As Andrew bluntly puts it, "Every poor project didn't have a lighting professional." After years of polite education, he suggests the time may have come for lighting experts to more assertively claim their rightful place in the design process.Perhaps most fascinating is the exploration of how the industry has evolved beyond separating "dark sky specialists" from regular lighting designers. Today's professionals simply practice "responsible design" as standard. The conversation takes a thought-provoking turn when addressing how lighting organisations themselves might inadvertently reinforce industry silos rather than breaking them down. Could integrating lighting professionals throughout built environment events rather than segregating them into dedicated sections be the way forward?For anyone invested in the future of lighting design, this discussion illuminates both challenges and potential pathways to elevating the profession's recognition across architecture, engineering, planning, and beyond. Join us in exploring how lighting professionals can finally secure their essential place at the design table.Support the showLearn more about our community by visiting www.vld.communityFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more like this, please signup, subscribe and would appreciate a 5-star review!

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