Lighting: Your Best Ally or Your Worst Mistake... You Decide
n previous articles, I talked about retail and bioclimatic design in general terms, but today I want to focus on a key element within these topics: lighting.
We know that lighting is divided into two types: natural and artificial. Natural light is a fascinating universe that deserves its own analysis, so today we will focus on artificial lighting. To understand its impact on architecture and space design, it’s essential to know certain key properties that can work in our favor… or against us.
Two years ago, I studied interior design, where I learned about styles, design programs, and marketing and neuromarketing strategies applied to retail. But when I discovered bioclimatic design, I found a completely different perspective—one that puts the environment and the user at the center. At first, it seemed like a noble concept, but I often heard the same phrase: "That doesn’t make money"... or does it?
The truth is that lighting doesn’t just transform spaces; it can make a business thrive or fail, make a user feel comfortable or uncomfortable, or make a product stand out or go unnoticed. What if I told you that light is as powerful a design tool as any other?
Beyond the Senses: Lighting as a Tool for Emotional Connection
We’ve talked about neuromarketing and how to influence the user’s sensations to encourage them to buy our product. But what if, instead of just stimulating their senses, we managed to connect with their emotions?
That impact would be much deeper.
When we design with empathy, focusing on the user’s comfort and creating a space where they genuinely feel good, everything else falls into place. Because a well-designed space isn’t just perceived—it’s felt. And when we succeed in making the user experience this connection without even realizing it, we’re generating something far more valuable than a simple sale: we’re creating loyalty.
In retail, we often mention the user, but our priority remains selling. And that’s where we’re going wrong. If we make the user feel comfortable in the space, we won’t just gain a buyer—we’ll gain a customer who will return again and again.
Lighting Basics: Understanding the Key Concepts
Before diving into lighting design, we need to keep a few key concepts in mind. Don’t worry—I won’t overwhelm you with technical jargon. My goal is to help you understand these principles without giving you a headache.
The 6 essential concepts you need to know:
? Color temperature: Measured in kelvins (K) and defines whether a light is warm or cool.
? Luminance: The amount of light emitted by a light source
.? Illuminance: The amount of light that reaches a specific surface (workplane).
? Luminous flux: The total amount of light emitted by a source.
? Luminous intensity: The amount of light emitted in a specific direction, measured in candelas (cd).
? Material properties: How finishes influence the reflection, absorption, and diffusion of light.
I know these concepts might sound complicated, but once you understand them, lighting design will become much easier. Now, why is it so important to understand light? It might seem obvious, but its impact on our body and mood is enormous.
I could give you an in-depth lesson on how the eye works, but today I want to show you how to apply lighting in space design to enhance its impact. Let’s start with color temperature.
Color Temperature: The Key to Designing with Light
Color temperature is an essential factor in lighting. It’s measured in kelvins (K)—the lower the value, the warmer the light. For example:
?? Red light (Warm): Low color temperature.
?? Blue light (Cool): High color temperature.
But it’s not just about aesthetics. Color temperature directly affects our well-being because our bodies naturally respond to light, adjusting our energy levels and rest cycles throughout the day.
This happens because our body reacts to the natural changes in the sun’s color temperature, helping regulate our biological rhythm by managing our energy and rest levels.
There’s a concept called Human Centric Lighting (HCL) that aims to design lighting in sync with our biological rhythms and needs (CIE, 2018). In short, light has a direct impact on our circadian rhythm, influencing sleep, concentration, and mood.
Think about a sunrise—its color temperature is warm, around 3000K. Why? Because at that time, we’re still asleep and need to wake up gradually. As the day progresses, the color temperature rises to around 4500-5000K by midday, when we’re at our most productive. Then, by sunset, it drops back to around 3500K, signaling it’s time to wind down and rest. This cycle is known as the circadian rhythm (Illuminating Engineering Society, 2011).
In the morning, cool, bright light keeps us alert, while in the evening, warm, dim light helps us relax (CIE, 2012). When there’s no light, our body understands it’s time to sleep. Here are the key factors:
? Cortisol: A hormone linked to alertness and energy. Its release increases with cool light, helping us stay awake and focused.
? Melatonin: The hormone that regulates sleep. Exposure to cool light at night suppresses its production, making it harder to rest (CIE, 2018).
Applied examples in spaces:
Imagine you own a coffee shop and want people to feel comfortable working there. If you use warm light and relaxing music, the space will feel cozy, but customers might subconsciously think, “I don’t know why, but I just can’t focus here.”
Now, if you switch to cool light (or better yet, take advantage of natural light), people will walk in and immediately feel more energized and ready to concentrate. Their brain, reacting to the light, will produce cortisol, keeping them alert and productive. This will turn your café into their go-to spot for working—a place they’ll want to return to regularly. That’s the goal: creating environments that boost mental activity and well-being.
Now let’s switch contexts. Imagine you’re designing a space for children. The last thing you want is to encourage hyperactivity. In this case, cool light wouldn’t be ideal. Instead of stimulating cortisol production, you’d want to promote the release of melatonin or serotonin. While serotonin isn’t directly influenced by warm light, a relaxing environment helps its production, improving overall well-being.
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What about the product itself?
This principle also applies to color perception. For example, if you’re selling bread, you want its fresh, golden tone to stand out. Using cool light or blueish-white light could make the bread look greenish instead of golden.
Color temperature influences how we perceive both an environment and a product, a topic that ties into a broader concept: color rendering (Warakul, 2016).
In the end, lighting design isn’t just about aesthetics—it shapes the way we live, work, and feel. Had you ever thought about it this way?
Illuminance: The Key to a Functional and Comfortable Space
Now that we understand the importance of color temperature, let's talk about illuminance and why it is fundamental. Illuminance refers to the amount of light (lux) that a work surface, such as a table, receives.Why is it important? Imagine you're reading in a dimly lit environment. Over time, you'll get used to it, but you'll be straining your eyes. The result? Visual fatigue and headaches, a sign that we are not in optimal conditions to carry out the activity. That’s why it is essential to consider the type of task that will be carried out in a space. You don’t have to worry too much, as there are standards that define how many lux are needed depending on the activity (Illuminating Engineering Society, 2018).
Some optimal illuminance values according to the standards are:
? Reading: 500 lux
? Office work: 300-500 lux
? Circulation areas: 100 lux (CIE, 2002).
In illuminance, there are two key factors: the user and the product. Why do we say that the product is our work surface, even though it's not a physical object? Let's go back to the example of a café designed for working. A cold light can help us stay focused, but if the tables don’t have the right illuminance and customers have to strain their eyes, the design fails.In this case, the tables are the work surface because the goal is to create a comfortable environment that encourages people to stay longer, benefiting both their productivity and the business. But if the purpose were different, such as highlighting a product in a showcase, the lighting strategy would change. We wouldn’t capture attention with just 80 lux, as the lighting would be insufficient to appreciate it properly (CIE, 2004).
Luminous Flux: The Basis of Efficient Lighting
To achieve these effects, we must understand another essential concept: luminous flux. It is measured in lumens and, in simple terms, indicates how much light a light source emits. Its importance lies in energy efficiency, as it helps us assess whether a lamp consumes too much energy in relation to the amount of light it generates. If the luminous flux is low and the electric consumption is high, it is definitely not an efficient option (Schanda, 2004). To calculate it, there is a formula called the lumen method or calculators that make the job easier.
If we know the luminous flux in lumens, we can determine the characteristics of the lamps we need. If we want to reach a specific level of illuminance (lux) on our work surface, we use the lumen method. However, to simplify the calculation, you can use a lumen calculator: just enter the square meters of the space and the required lux, and it will tell you how many lumens you need in total. Then, simply search for lamps with those characteristics, divide it by the lumens of the lamp, and you will know the number of luminaries required, which will help you avoid mistakes and have a clear goal.
Luminous Intensity: How to Control Light to Create Ideal Environments
But here is where another important factor comes into play: luminous intensity. It’s not enough to know the total luminous flux, we also need to consider how the light is distributed in the space. If you have a 1000-lumen bulb, its illuminance on a table will depend on the distance and emission angle. If the bulb has a reflector, it will concentrate the light in a specific direction, increasing its luminous intensity in that area and generating higher illuminance on the table (CIE, 2010).
This is why choosing the right product is key. Luminous intensity allows us to direct attention where we want, which is crucial in lighting design to highlight key elements and create impactful visual experiences (Boyce, 2014). The most interesting thing about luminous intensity is that we can feel it. You’ve probably noticed when a light is too intense or, on the contrary, seems insufficient. I know it might sound a bit complicated, but on my profile, I have an infographic where I explain it more clearly.
The Power of Luminance: Creating Visually Pleasing Environments
And lastly, we have luminance, a concept more related to the interaction between light and surfaces. We can have an ideal light source, but if the surface it hits reflects the light inadequately, it can cause glare (and no, not in a good way), affecting the visual perception of the user and causing discomfort (CIE, 2010).
That’s why, when designing lighting, it’s not enough to choose the right lamp, it's also crucial to consider how the surfaces will react to the light. This brings us to the topic of finishes, which can reflect, absorb, or transmit light. Their names say it all, but the interesting part is understanding when and how to use them to our advantage.
Beyond Aesthetics: How Materials Influence Lighting
Reflection can be a great ally: when used correctly, it allows us to direct light where we need it without adding more light fixtures. On the other hand, surfaces that absorb light, such as dark-colored ones, can make a space feel more opaque and require more artificial lighting, while light-colored surfaces reflect more light, increasing the sense of brightness in the environment (Boyce, 2014).
Then there are transparent and translucent materials. The former, like glass, allow light to pass through directly, while the latter, like some frosted glasses or fabrics, disperse it, softening its intensity and creating a more uniform distribution. An extreme case of reflection are mirrors, which reflect almost all the light they receive, requiring us to consider the geometry of lighting, as the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection (Schanda, 2004).
So, as you can see, the behavior of light doesn't only depend on the light source, but also on where and how it hits. Choosing the right materials not only improves lighting, but also influences energy efficiency and the visual experience.
In summary, mastering these concepts is the first step to applying the technique effectively. This article is backed by the technique, but I want to make it clear that I can't teach it properly if you don't fully understand the basic concepts. Without them, it would be like speaking another language. Don't worry if it seems complicated at first; with practice, you'll see everything fall into place.
Think about this: lighting can be your best ally or your worst enemy. Every lighting decision you make influences the experience of a space, how it's perceived, and the user's reaction. Are you going to let lighting work against you, or are you going to make it your best design tool?
?? It's time to take control. Apply these concepts, experiment with them, and start designing with strategy. Are you ready to transform your spaces with lighting that truly makes an impact? ?? Start today and show what you're capable of achieving!
References:
Warakul Tantanatewin, Vorapat Inkarojrit, (2016). Effects of color and lighting on retail impression and identity, Journal of Environmental Psychology, Volume 46, Pages 197-205, ISSN 0272-4944, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2016.04.015.
Boyce, P. R. (2014). Human Factors in Lighting (3rd ed.). CRC Press.
National Institutes of Health (NIH). (2008). Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood. NIH. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11818-019-00215-x
Illuminating Engineering Society. (2018). Lighting Handbook: 10th edition. Illuminating Engineering Society.
International Commission on Illumination (CIE). (2004). CIE 117-1995: Photometry - The Measurement of Luminous Flux and Luminous Intensity. CIE.