Collaboration, knowledge sharing and purposeful design will define the year ahead.
As we move into 2026, our mission at Team Nulty remains unchanged: we use light creatively to breathe life and character into a space. What has changed is the context in which we design. The built environment industry has entered a phase of maturity and complexity, where the sectors we work across resist definition due to the prevalence of experiential design. Additional factors such as wellbeing, inclusivity and sustainability inform every brief, influencing the way we approach projects. At the same time, technology is moving the needle at a pace we’ve never witnessed before, creating new possibilities for adaptability and personalisation.
Against this backdrop, we want to retain a clear-eyed focus on what we know our clients want – purposeful, visually impactful and emotionally resonant lighting design. While projects demand greater problem-solving and mastery of new research and data, the power of light to connect people and place continues to fuel our creativity. Looking ahead to another busy 12 months, we’re reminding ourselves of this, along with the knowledge that great design comes from asking the right questions, sharing information and caring about the details that some might overlook. With all this in mind, here are the principles that will shape our work in the year ahead.
Shape the conversation at pre-concept.
We talk a lot about collaboration, but as briefs become more complex and the list of priorities multiplies, open dialogue across disciplines has never been more important. Crucially, collaboration needs to happen from the outset of a project. If the lighting consultant is part of the conversation during the pre-concept stage, we can share our expertise and influence the discussion while ideas relating to issues such as sustainability, neurodiversity, biophilic design, maintainability and detailing are still being formed. When we’re brought in late, it’s difficult to inform these decisions as the parameters are already set, limiting our ability to shape the design in the right way.
Obsess over the details.
The paradox of being a lighting designer is that people should walk through a space without really noticing the lighting. This has never been truer, as subtlety, finesse and integration are everything. We’re especially seeing this in the hospitality industry, where carefully considered lighting details elevate the guest experience and raise the feeling of luxury to a whole new level. We’re being asked to integrate fixtures in increasingly sophisticated ways to maintain a clean visual aesthetic, enable better layouts and embed flexibility into a scheme. Soft layers of light also ensure a beautiful backdrop, which is fundamental to the brand identity and viral marketing of a location.
Unpack the science.
The latest research on the health benefits of light has led to a wave of wellness-based innovations, ranging from circadian alarm clocks in homes to dynamic lighting in offices and hotels, and more recently, concepts such as infrared-powered Pilates studios and red-light therapy zones in gyms and spas. Wellness-led lighting is one of the most talked-about areas of our industry, but credibility and transparency are needed. Designers must differentiate between scientifically backed solutions and marketing jargon or unsubstantiated claims on social media. This year, we’re committed to cutting through the noise and educating our peers about the true health benefits of light.
Embrace technology, but with purpose.
AI offers enormous potential, but is it the game changer we think it is, or simply the emperor’s new clothes? It’s still too early to predict where AI will lead us, or whether our clients truly want or need these pioneering systems. What is clear, however, is that we are entering a new era of neuroadaptive design – an age where experiential design meets human behaviour, as spaces respond to people’s behaviours and emotions, and lighting tracks individuals and adapts dynamically to enhance their personal experience. As with any innovation, it’s vital to remain curious and open-minded, so we’re focusing on expanding our knowledge and exploring how AI can be applied with purpose.
Fight the good fight.
Sustainability is fundamental to lighting design, but are we in danger of losing too much wattage in our fight to reduce energy consumption? The scourge of the energy diet means that lighting designers are increasingly constrained by MEP standards and metrics. We’re often forced to dilute our schemes by reducing fittings to meet sustainability requirements. So how do we fight back and ensure that all this is not at the expense of depth, drama and ambience? In short, it means curating a space for people rather than blindly painting by numbers to tick a box.
