Designing Lighting’s 2025 Top 10 Stories: A Year of Change, Leadership, and the Future of Light
2025 was a defining year for the lighting design industry. Economic uncertainty, consolidation, rapid technological change, and generational leadership shifts shaped the conversations that mattered most. As a result, the stories that resonated with designing lighting readers reflected an industry actively redefining itself. From major mergers and leadership transitions to difficult conversations about transparency and AI, these were the top stories of 2025, ranked chronologically by publish date and placed within the broader context of the year.
Introducing Tonight in Controls
February 27, 2025
EdisonReport announced the launch of Tonight in Controls, a new media platform hosted by C. Webster Marsh and focused exclusively on lighting controls. The platform aimed to address a growing knowledge gap as controls become more central—and more complex—within lighting design.
Early in 2025, this story set the tone for the year ahead. At the same time, controls continued to shift from a specialty discipline to a core competency, reinforcing the industry’s move toward smarter, more integrated systems.
Carrie Hawley on the HLB–CS Design Merger
March 4, 2025
HLB Lighting Design CEO Carrie Hawley discussed the firm’s merger with Montreal-based CS Design, marking HLB’s expansion into Canada. Additionally, the move reinforced the firm’s long-term global strategy.
This was one of several merger stories in 2025, reflecting consolidation among top-tier firms seeking scale, geographic reach, and cultural alignment in a competitive market.
Paula Martinez-Nobles Rises from Intern to President at FMS
April 17, 2025
Paula Martinez-Nobles was named President of Fisher Marantz Stone, completing a 21-year journey from intern to firm leader and signaling a carefully planned generational transition.
Leadership succession emerged as a major theme throughout the year. As a result, firms focused on continuity, mentorship, and values-driven leadership as founders and long-standing principals began passing the baton.
Transparency in the Lighting Sales Channel
April 28, 2025
Coverage of a New York City panel examined transparency across designers, manufacturers, reps, and distributors, addressing pricing, substitutions, spec integrity, and trust.
As economic pressure tightened this year, transparency became less theoretical and more urgent. Ultimately, this story captured an industry wrestling with how to collaborate ethically while protecting design intent.
Inside LightFair with Andrea Hartranft
May 8, 2025
IALD President Andrea Hartranft shared candid insights from LightFair 2025, discussing the state of the economy, leadership, pricing transparency, and the future direction of the show.
Midyear conversations increasingly reflected realism mixed with optimism. While challenges remained, leaders emphasized adaptability, communication, and long-term investment in the profession.
Fashion Report: Reflecting Style at the 2025 IESNYC Lumen Gala
June 20, 2025
The annual fashion report highlighted the style, creativity, and personality on display at the IESNYC Lumen Gala, aligning fashion with the event’s Reflect & Refract theme.
Amid heavier industry news, this story celebrated culture and community. It served as an important counterbalance during a year marked by economic and structural change.
Lighting Design Alliance Joins Salas O’Brien in Strategic Merger
July 18, 2025
Lighting Design Alliance joined Salas O’Brien, combining award-winning architectural lighting expertise with a multidisciplinary engineering platform.
Additionally, this merger reinforced a 2025 trend: lighting design firms aligning with larger, integrated organizations to expand opportunity, resilience, and influence across the built environment.
Randy Burkett’s Lifetime Achievement Award Speech: Lighting’s Lasting Impact
October 13, 2025
Randy Burkett’s acceptance speech for the IALD Lifetime Achievement Award reflected on a career shaped by mentorship, curiosity, and the human impact of light.
As the year turned reflective, the story grounded the profession in its roots. Above all, it reminded readers that beyond technology and growth, lighting remains fundamentally about people.
IALD Inducts Five New Fellows at Enlighten Americas 2025
October 13, 2025
Five professionals were inducted into the IALD College of Fellows, honoring decades of leadership, mentorship, and design excellence.
Similarly, recognition and legacy were recurring themes late in the year. In this case, highlighting the importance of stewardship and service as the industry looks toward its future.
AI in Lighting Design: Creators, Challenges, and Protecting the Craft
October 13, 2025
A standing-room-only session at Enlighten Americas explored AI’s role in lighting design, addressing ethics, education, data ownership, energy use, and the preservation of human judgment.
At the same time, this story captured one of the most forward-looking—and contentious—conversations of 2025. AI emerged not as a replacement, but as a powerful tool demanding clear boundaries and thoughtful leadership.
Looking Back at the Designing Lighting Top Stories of 2025
In conclusion, looking back our 2025 Top 10 Stories tell a clear story: an industry in transition. Firms expanded and merged, leaders stepped into new roles, long-standing contributors were honored, and emerging technologies challenged designers to protect the core of their craft, collaboration, transparency, mentorship, and human-centered design remained constant themes—defining not just the year that was, but the future ahead.