A good lighting design determines the quality of experience in each space. Not only does it set the mood of a given area, but it provides unique branding to it as well. This improves the desirability of these spaces and can even boost people’s sense of well-being – a vital factor in being productive. Though a new specialization, architectural lighting design consultancies offer the best results for the client. Such discipline prioritizes the appropriate design strategy tailored to the client’s needs and requirements. Hence, it is now slowly gaining popularity worldwide. Paul Nulty, the founder of Nulty Plus Lighting Design Consultants, shares his insightful experiences related to this industry in episode 364 of Enoch Shear’s Business of Architecture podcast.
When asked about the business’s origin, Paul shared how it started as an accident way back in 2011. He was sitting at a dining table that year, thinking of wanting to pay his mortgage. From a mere thought, it blossomed into a 10-year-old lighting design consultant company. When they were starting, he observed the what-to-do and what-not-to-do in practice and gained confidence slowly but surely. With only 50 people, navigating the business is tough for him. Nevertheless, it didn’t hinder Paul and his team from being successful.
How Does It Fit in the Architectural Delivery Process?
Creativity and Technology. These two important entities are needed to create promising outputs. Paul continued that the goal is to elicit emotional relationships among end-users in whatever space there is. “What we see is entirely derived from the quality of light we have on the space and how we react to that is relative to the quality of light of the space as well”, he eagerly explained.
Further elaborated, Paul associated lighting design with the quality of emotion experienced by the users of the space. As designers, it is understanding how light falls on the surface, and the marriage of dark spaces and rays of light can be elements of playing a space – stimulating the senses and choosing the appropriate ambience for a project.
Lighting design is a specialization. Another objective should be letting the client understand the art and appreciate the design narrative that comes with it. Oftentimes, consultants talk about the quantity and not the quality of lighting. Then it becomes a norm that emotional response is taken for granted. As a deviation from this norm, Nulty Plus balances the creativity of design with its technical counterpart necessary to achieve the desired plan. “It’s a tough challenge”, Paul added. Though struggling during the genesis stage of the company’s career, it managed to expand its reach, having offices in London, Dubai, Miami, Bangkok, and Pune.
Attracting Clients
Highlighting the economic benefits of hiring a lighting design consultant can persuade a client’s interest. Paul proceeded to explain that seeking professional advice from a lighting consultant prevents delays in material procurement; it is also a part of their job to save on energy consumption without compromising the quality of space and the project’s brand.
“Lighting becomes, one of many tools, that we use to enhance that experience”, he reiterated. He also discusses studying the practice and learning how to market the services to be offered by the company. At the end of the day, it depends on the kind of branding, the message conveyed through lighting and the target market that the company is trying to connect and reach. And just like that, it can now become a magnet to potential clients.
Process When Working with A Client
Like any profession, client relationships are vital to a company’s reputation and future projects. Paul emphasized that it is a lot easier to win good work when one is doing good work. When working with a client, it is important to continue building connections. This network of people is comprised of the inner and outer layers; during the podcast, Paul focused on exploring the outer layer to make the network interactive. Reaching this layer of the hierarchy and telling them about the company’s story and learning from both parties can allow the flow of knowledge.
“That’s how you build a connection”, he said.
Navigating through the business
Paul highlighted three main points to smartly navigate the business – creating genuine relationships, company backstory, and portfolio:
- It’s all about building good relationships. Earning the complete trust of the clients can potentially earn the company more projects and referrals, hence providing good exposure in the industry.
- A good backstory attracts clients to get to know the company and learn what they have to offer. The more intriguing it is, the more attention it gets.
- A diverse portfolio strengthens the company’s trustworthiness in the field.
From different arrays of projects, it is a wise move to compile a project portfolio for documentation and client reference as well.
Nulty Plus intends to use this strategy to educate more clients that lighting design is necessary; choosing the right professional and firm – one that offers creative inputs – can completely make a difference. Branding and Marketing go together to set the direction of a project’s goal and is very important to pay attention during client briefs.
“If your business is having the right conversation with the right people, it will be well”, Paul firmly said.
Motivation to Pursue
The podcast also accentuated the four pillars of management, namely, (1) human resources, (2) operations, (3) business development, and (4) finance. Paul clearly emphasized how important it is to strike a balance among these four to keep the business steady. Because of this, he started hiring other individuals that could help him sustain his business. These people helped manage the office and operation concerns, allowing Paul to focus deeper on designing. The team may not have the same strategy for every problem, but if they have a common end goal, a consistent standard is achieved.
“It got easier” as if sighing in relief, Paul said with a smile.
Customer Service Experience
It is important to communicate with the client to properly understand the direction and updates of the project. An important note to consider is prioritizing the people involved more than the actual project. Keeping in touch with the primary individuals helps the team decipher whether progress is desirable or not. Valuing interaction as part of a good attitude towards work prevents working in isolation. Paul then mentioned that even young designers should practice such traits since being proactive is like taking people into the journey of designing – as if uncovering every chapter of a story and anticipating a great ending.
In lighting design, coming early in the feasibility stage is crucial to avoid unnecessary revisions. This will save time and effort and even execute the job accurately. The schematic phase is where the preliminary studies are done and allows the designer to scrutinize potential options to consider, narrowing it to the best one. Truth is that this process displays the narrative of the whole project – from an abstract idea translated to reality.
In present times, there may be a lot of aesthetically pleasing designs but not all are done in a meticulous manner. Designing is not simply about the quantities nor just what the final output would look like; its value comes from the overall experience the space possesses to have an emotional impact on its users.
Now is it important? Yes, it is! New experiences brought about by design add value, something that has been lacking in new developments.
References
Apple Podcasts. 2022. Business of Architecture Podcast: 364: Shining a Light on Business Systems with Paul Nulty on Apple Podcasts. [online] Available at: <https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/364-shining-a-light-on-business-systems-with-paul-nulty/id588987926?i=1000518882094> [Accessed 7 October 2022].
Youtube.com. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9fkZtLgQm4> [Accessed 7 October 2022].
Nulty | Lighting Design Consultants. 2022. Nulty | Lighting Design Consultants. [online] Available at: <https://www.nultylighting.co.uk/> [Accessed 7 October 2022].
