Article by Josh Miller - Senior Manager of Strategic Visualization at Acuity Brands. Originally featured in IESNYC - The Fabric of Our Society.
From the moment I stepped into the realm of lighting design, the allure of crafting meaningful spaces captured my imagination. Our profession, a fascinating confluence of art and science, offers a canvas where light can narrate stories, evoke emotions, and transform environments.
As my journey unfolded, the realities of the design business began to encroach upon the sacred space of creativity. Meetings, deadlines, and the myriad logistical elements of bringing designs to life… It all started to chip away at the time available for creative exploration. I found myself in a constant struggle: clawing back moments to fulfill a fundamental need to create, to mold “something” out of the intangible.
A new technology has recently begun to rise within our field: artificial intelligence (AI). Initially met with curiosity, this latest addition is unfolding into a rich, transformative fusion. I see AI enhancing the essence of creative work in lighting design, rather than diminishing it.
The struggle for creative time
Most professionals in the creative industry share my experience. The increasing demands of the business side of design have left many of us searching for more hours in the day: time to immerse ourselves in the creative process. We struggle to balance the practical aspects of our work with the intrinsic need to explore and create.
Artificial intelligence is emerging not just as a technology, but as a beacon of creative exploration. AI – with its capacity for instant visualization feedback and the creation of seemingly limitless visual variations – offers a way to reclaim the creative space that the business of lighting has taken. It's like discovering a secret passage back to the heart of creativity, where the essence of our work can flourish.
Instant visualization
The integration of AI into the design process marks a subtle, yet profound beginning. The faintest spark of an idea can be brought to vivid life in moments; initiating a dynamic feedback loop between the creator's imagination and the boundless capabilities of AI. This is more than efficiency – it’s a new language of creation.
This immediate ability to visualize ideas enhances the dialogue between human design sense and technological precision. Historically, producing three variations of a design for a space was laborious and considered a luxury. Yet, the essence of creativity lies beyond initial schemes: it is found in iteration and experimentation.
Beyond the first few ideas
The challenge, and indeed the beauty, of creativity lies in pushing beyond the conventional, initial ideas that easily come to mind, and that we know from experience are practicable. True creativity often emerges from exploration, from the willingness to conceive and examine dozens, if not hundreds, of variations.
This level of exploration is becoming not just possible, but practical. Imagine leaving our world where creating 12 variations on a lighting design is a rare treat, reserved for a few select projects. With AI, we can generate and evaluate 1200 designs and products with little effort. This scale of creative exploration lies at hand. AI invites us to delve deeper into the creative process, more than ever before.
AI's role in lighting design highlights a compelling truth: countless creative visions have remained unexplored. This is not for lack of imagination, but for the absence of resources to visualize and iterate on concepts within a confined budget. AI tools enable designers to uncover the creative stones left unturned. They offer a glimpse into the expanse of what's possible when time and technology converge to support our creative endeavors.
Making AI work for you
Our community varies in its familiarity with AI tools, from seasoned experts to those just beginning to explore AI’s capabilities. The lighting industry’s greatest strength lies in our collective learning. Generous knowledge-sharing will spread the insights and expertise needed to unlock the full potential of these technologies. But to truly grasp what AI can offer, design professionals must engage with it directly and purposefully.
For those on the fence, starting with platforms like ChatGPT and Midjourney offers a solid introduction. It's worth noting the distinct experiences provided by free versus paid versions of these tools. Free versions can serve as a gateway. But with paid subscriptions there is a tangible difference in your experience and results. With large language models, it’s essentially a difference in the computational power at your disposal.
Diving into the world of AI-generated imagery necessitates a basic understanding of photographic principles – cameras and lenses, angles, shot types, lighting nuances, and color theory. Crafting simple and effective prompts with this foundational knowledge can dramatically enhance the quality of outputs. A blend of experimentation and creative exploration is essential to refine your prompting skills.
Interacting with ChatGPT, in contrast to Midjourney, is more conversational. It's crucial to clearly articulate who your intended audience is, and to navigate the discussion with targeted questions. This strategy amplifies the quality of outputs and enriches the experience.
Ethical considerations
As we integrate AI into the workflow of lighting design, ethical considerations must guide our journey. Transparency and responsible use of AI are needed to ensure that our advancements in this exciting field are both innovative and conscientious.
A call to fellow creators
To my fellow designers, dreamers, and creators, I extend an invitation to embark on this journey of discovery and creativity as an industry. Let's light up the future together, one visionary project at a time. Let’s craft not just spaces, but experiences that linger in memory long after the light fades.
Designing lighting with AI is not a solitary exploration but collective discovery – an odyssey of human ingenuity enhanced by the potential of artificial intelligence. We are entering a realm where every lighting designer can reclaim the essence of their craft. The act of creation is liberated from the constraints of time and traditional methodologies, and meaningful spaces are woven from the very threads of our dreams.
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