16/09/2026
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ?
After more than 30 years in lighting, Iโve realised that the technology may change, but some things should never change.
๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ .
I love the technology, the constant innovation and the incredible developments that continue to shape our industry. Even after more than 30 years, I still get excited about what is possible. I was fortunate to start my journey in a very different era.
I spent days doing manual lighting layouts.
I attended my IESSA courses. I walked sites. I made mistakes, learned from them and discovered that there can be quite a difference between what works on paper and what works in the real world.
Those experiences gave me something that I value enormously today: a deep respect for the knowledge, craft and responsibility behind good lighting.
Technology has changed all of that, and I welcome the change. AI, software and modern design tools can give us incredible capabilities. They can make us faster, more efficient and open up possibilities that we could hardly have imagined years ago.
But perhaps there is a conversation we need to have as an industry:
๐๐๐ง ๐ญ๐๐๐ก๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐?
For me, it can't.
A formula is useful.
A calculation is essential.
AI can be an incredible tool.
But understanding why something works, knowing what can go wrong, recognising the realities of a site and taking responsibility for the final result, that comes from learning, experience and continually developing your craft.
And perhaps this is where my โold schoolโ values come in.
I still believe in integrity, ethics, honesty, quality and taking pride in your name and your work.
I also believe that the next generation has an enormous opportunity to take our industry forward. They have access to tools and knowledge that we could only dream of when we started.
Perhaps our responsibility is to make sure that technology adds to experience rather than replacing the journey of gaining it.
Because ultimately, lighting isn't just about products, calculations or technology.
It's about knowledge.
It's about experience.
It's about responsibility.
And it's about the name you put behind your work.
As Proverbs 22:1 reminds us:
โ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ฌ; ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐.โ
๐๐จ ๐'๐ฆ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ:
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ?
Is it qualifications?
Experience?
Site knowledge?
Technical knowledge?
Creativity?
Integrity?
Or is it the combination of all of these?
๐'๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ข๐ญ.
