Andrea Hartranft Opens IALD Americas Conference with Powerful Business Forum
Andrea Hartranft Opens IALD Conference with Business Forum
As Hartranft, FIALD, opens the IALD Enlighten Americas Conference, held at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, she kicked off the Business Forum in the Argon 1 room. Declaring the space a safe environment, Andrea began the town hall-style discussion by posing critical questions about artificial intelligence (AI) and design integrity.
The Role of AI in Lighting Design
With the room filled with approximately 80% designers, Andrea began by addressing AI. Her first question, “How has AI impacted the services you provide, and are you using AI for design?” sparked a lively discussion.
One Southern California designer shared that 50% of his projects are under NDA, making it too risky to use AI for fear of losing control. As the discussion unfolded, it became clear that no one in the room used AI for design purposes. However, several attendees mentioned using AI for marketing, transcription, and product management tasks.
The conversation quickly shifted to intellectual property. A designer from San Diego expressed her belief that whoever enters data into AI owns the resulting images. Andrea noted that some designers are experimenting with AI platforms like ChatGPT, setting parameters for design scenarios. She shared that ChatGPT’s results came surprisingly close to what they would have created themselves.
One designer said she uses AI to find inspiration, explaining, “I’ll ask for a spa with curves and uplights,” using the generated images as a source of creativity. The Southern California designer added that his concern lies not with AI itself, but with software giants like Autodesk, which own Revit and AutoCAD and have access to vast amounts of designers’ drawings. “If they decide to compete, they already have all of our data,” he warned.
AI’s Potential and Product Concerns
The discussion then shifted to concerns over mass-produced, lower-quality lighting products. One designer worried about the rise of products with selectable CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) and wattage. “It’s like carpet,” she explained, “After six months, the quality is terrible.”
Regarding AI and Revit, attendees wondered if AI could fully manage Revit workflows. Post-event, your humble editor asked ChatGPT about this, receiving a response that, while AI could assist with Revit concepts and workflows, it cannot yet run the software or create files.
Avraham Mor Make a Point from the back of the room at the IALD Business Forum
Challenges in Design: Quality Control and Client Communication
The forum also delved into broader design issues. A Midwest designer mentioned that his firm has a dedicated quality control QC person who asks designers key questions to maintain standards, though he admitted it “doesn’t catch everything.”
Andrea shifted gears, recounting a presentation she gave to architects about collaborating with lighting designers. During the session, audience members began leaving one by one, prompting her to stop and ask what they wanted to hear. Their response: “lighting design.” Adjusting mid-presentation, Andrea shifted the focus to address their interests.
Contractors, Budgets, and Communication
A Chicago designer shared her experience of presenting to general contractors. She emphasized the importance of reviewing furniture plans to determine proper lighting placement. “Many Chicago contractors now understand how important the color of paint is,” she added, “and if a wall moves, they know they need to let me know.”
One designer said he usually offers three pricing options: expensive, middle, and cheap. Another attendee explained that only 25% of his projects come with a lighting budget. “If they don’t give me a budget, I design anyway. Then, if we’re over budget, I ask, ‘What budget?’ Everything becomes an added service after that.”
Relationship with the Owner
The group agreed that it’s vital to establish a relationship with the project owner. Several designers mentioned including clauses in their contracts to ensure they meet with the owner directly. One designer insisted that he wouldn’t start a job until he met the owner, adding, “It’s especially important when the contractor is in the owner’s ear.”
Ethics and the Future of Work-Life Balance
Andrea began wrapping up the discussion by posing a thought-provoking question: “Is there a line we should not cross when it comes to ethics?” This sparked a debate about the ethics of designing for companies whose practices or values conflict with the designer’s own beliefs. The conversation extended to avoiding partnerships with manufacturers from countries with poor human rights records.
Andrea’s final question concerned how the expectations around work-life balance have shifted over time and how this impacts firm morale. A working mother in the audience shared her experience recruiting others with similar lifestyles, saying, “I’m flexible on hours, but hiring someone who wants to work from 8 PM to midnight won’t really work because of the need for collaboration.”
Read about the pre-conference Tequila Party sponsored by Axis Lighting