Design Storytelling: Communicating the Impact of the Lighting Design
Lighting design is not selecting fixtures; it’s enhancing an environment, telling a story, and guiding users through a space. When done by professional designers, lighting influences users to interact with the space and evokes an emotional response. Unlike most building materials and finishes, lighting designers cannot provide a tangible swatch to architects and owners for consideration and understanding of design strategies. Therefore, communicating the impact of lighting design is crucial to gaining buy-in and overcoming preconceived notions from architects and project stakeholders.
The Importance of Storytelling in Lighting Design
Storytelling plays a pivotal role in lighting design because it helps stakeholders visualize the lighting in a space. Understanding your audience – whether it’s an architect, owner, developer – enables a designer to craft a compelling narrative around the lighting concept. This story not only conveys how lighting will enhance the user experience but also explains the emotional tone or message the design aims to evoke. Aligning the design with the stakeholders’ vision ensures their buy-in.
“This is where you establish the project goals and gain stakeholder support,” explains Jonathan Hoyle, Principal at The Lighting Practice.
Conceptualizing the Story of Lighting Design
To conceptualize the lighting design, it is essential to understand the narrative of how people will use it. This process begins by engaging with the client and design team, asking key questions to understand their vision and objectives.
“Research the owner, explore their recently completed projects, find out what matters to them and how they express those principles,” says Jonathan Hoyle.
The designer’s role is to integrate lighting that reinforces these goals, creating a cohesive atmosphere that echoes the space’s intended use and identity.
Steps to Conceptualize the Lighting Design:
- Review past client projects
- Understand clients goals
- Look at application images
- Form the “Big Picture”
Communicating the Goals of Lighting Design
One of the challenges lighting designers face is conveying their vision in a way that stakeholders can fully understand.
“Unlike physical materials that can be shown through swatches, lighting can only be understood through experience”, exclaims Jonathan.
This can make it harder to visualize and more difficult for architects and clients to grasp its full impact. Effective communication strategies include mood boards, sketches, renderings, and other visualizations that help make the lighting concept more tangible.
Terms like “human-centric design,” “ambiance,” and “experience” are often used to explain how lighting influences mood and functionality. Knowing your audience and using the right language is essential for the design to resonate with architects, and stakeholders.
“Speak in terms your audience understands – avoid jargon and use language that is meaningful to them,” says Xingying Peng.
Effective Communication Tools:
- Mood boards
- Renderings and other visualizations
- Mock-up, sketches
- Budget comparisons
- Active listening
- Speak in terms your audience understands
Educating Architects and Stakeholders on the Value of Lighting Design
For lighting design to be truly impactful, architects and stakeholders must understand its integral role in the overall design. Lighting should not be an afterthought, but rather an essential part of the project from the start. Lighting affects how people perceive and interact with a space, as well as its functionality.
UC Health Before and After Renovation
Key educational points for architects and stakeholders include the influence of lighting on behavior and interaction within the space, as well as its contribution to the brand, identity, and mood of the environment. Lighting designers must be involved early in the process to ensure the full scope of the project is considered, allowing for the lighting to enhance the overall user experience.
Best Practices for Engaging Stakeholders:
- Identify key stakeholders
- Engage with them early
- Ask about their priorities and values
- Inquire about previous successes and challenges
- Ask what will make this project a success and why
- “Code Switching” Speaks in terms your audience understands
By using storytelling to communicate the impact of lighting, designers can foster better collaboration with owners, architects, and stakeholders, ensuring the lighting is not only functional but also emotionally and aesthetically appropriate for the environment.
