The Fabric of our Society

The Fabric of Our Society column invites industry leaders to provide experience-based opinions and discussions on various topics. Diverse perspectives are respected and most welcome, but do not necessarily reflect the opinions of IESNYC or the Board of Managers. Want to contribute? Email [email protected]

November 2024

#themoreyouknow 

Sara Schonour
Owner/Creative Catalyst, Luxsi
Director of Education, Business of Light
Mentorship Committee Chair, Women in Lighting + Design

In the past three years, my lighting journey has taken me from leading a lighting team at CannonDesign, to cheerleading for the industry at Lytei, to now running my own design and strategic consulting practice, Luxsi. The roles have changed, but I’ve enjoyed myriad opportunities to interface with different aspects of our lighting community. Sadly, I often hear the same frustrations over and over from my fellow designers. We cannot seem to stop talking about the industry’s lack of pricing transparency. Games are played, packaging remains rampant, and it’s seemingly impossible to obtain unit prices for budgeting.

I was very lucky (read, privileged) that in my corporate career, I received in-depth training on project management and sat right next to the architects, client leaders, and PMs on almost all of my jobs. Some of our projects were delivered using IPD (Integrated Project Delivery), and we worked hand-in-hand with the distributors and the contractors to negotiate pricing. These experiences gave me insight and understanding regarding the way that lighting is scoped and estimated compared to other trades, as well as a solid understanding of how each of the players in the lighting game makes their money. Now that I am interacting with lots of different lighting designers across the country in new ways, it’s become (a little painfully) apparent to me that many of my colleagues haven't been educated about how money flows in the lighting business.

I'm talking about how agents, distributors, and contractors operate in the supply chain. Who gets paid and when? Who has power and leverage in different situations? And when you’re sitting at the table with these groups, how can you work with each to maximize shared goals and drive design outcomes? For example, I'm shocked at how many designers cannot explain how overage works and how it factors into the lighting sales equation. You just can’t understand the dark and tangled web of lighting pricing without it. 

The good news is, there's probably never been a better time to learn something! Don’t just google or ask ChatGPT to explain concepts like overage (although it’s an undeniably fun and useful exercise). In today’s interconnected and technically innovative world, there are more ways than ever to bolster knowledge and fill in knowledge gaps. Here are a few ideas:

Get a mentor… or get a bunch of them!

When I received my first RFP as a dewy-fresh business owner, I was so lucky to have a seasoned senior lighting designer that I looked way up to (Aram Ebben is quite tall, after all) willing to help me in my moment of panic. But panic-filled outreach doesn't have to be your story!

Our industry is full of generous, kind, successful professionals willing (and often eager) to offer their opinions. You just have to ask a few targeted questions, and a wealth of experience and expertise can pour out. 

In fact, the IESNYC's new mentorship initiative is embracing the next generation of aspiring lighting professionals. Guiding Lights Circle supports emerging professionals seeking to build a solid foundation in the industry. EPs are paired with seasoned mentors who want to help shape the future of the industry. 

For a different kind of mentoring experience, WILD (Women in Lighting + Design) has launched its formal Mentorship Program, offering small-group, peer-to-peer mentorship, mixing participants with all kinds of industry roles, geolocations, and stages of their careers. All WILD members (women and their allies) are eligible and encouraged to participate! 

No matter where you get it, perspective is vitally important, and professionals who have worked in various facets of the architectural lighting industry can offer an abundance of invaluable advice.

Hone in on business-specific education

Three years ago, groups like Business of Light (BOL) didn’t yet exist. But now we have an industry resource whose mission is to raise the level of business acumen to help grow and sustain lighting design businesses. The programming is curated based on perspectives and feedback from the community. (As BOL’s Education Director, I should know!)

One of our most successful programs had a senior lighting designer go through what happens financially to the lighting design “package” once drafting is complete and the construction process commences. This was followed by a moderated, panel-style discussion that included an agent, a manufacturer, and a distributor. The event was so well-received that we decided to take it on the road. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming city visits, and let us know if we should come to yours.

Leverage modern tools for modern design work

They’ve finally arrived: modern tools that integrate workflows to capture data and learn from a design firm’s own rich history. Much like Revit has replaced CAD in many ways, innovative, cloud-based, digital tools like Sourcery and LightStanza are replacing “dumb” specification, calculation, and project management tools. Trade-up for smart platforms that collect and aggregate project data and then convert and communicate information in a useful format.

Data empowers confident action. Today, with only a little effort, designers can create a living database of pricing data points, historical project budget information, location factors, building typology per square foot tracking, etc. Better information arms you well for the seemingly inevitable pricing and value engineering battles. I've chosen to advise and consult with these brands because they're tools I believe in and use myself to proactively manage costs and streamline efficiencies. 

These suggestions are just a few of the ways that lighting designers of all stripes can use education to shore up areas of ambiguity and steer towards solutions around pricing and budgets. When lighting designers individually boost their understanding of the business side of lighting specification, procurement, and installation, the whole profession benefits. We’re better players in the games, and we can more readily identify and activate allies when necessary.

At the end of the day, this allows us to spend more time on the good stuff: the creative services we bring to the table to help elevate the built environment and enhance people’s lives with light.