LED technology now allows us to integrate lighting directly into a wall or ceiling surface, with little energy consumption, heat, or maintenance to worry about. This fusion of light + material, of lighting and digital signage elements embedded directly into architectural surfaces, furniture and retail displays, opens fresh new approaches to creating eye-catching branded experiences.
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Lighting Becomes a Building Material
Architects and interior designers have long tried to break free from the constraints of traditional light fixtures, to fuse the best properties of luminosity, optical effects, material choice and graphic design to add visual richness to architectural surfaces. Such embedded lighting opens tremendous creative opportunities and adds a dynamic range to architectural surfaces, creating a feeling that the architecture is alive, that it has a special presence.
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Luminous surfaces change the way people perceive, occupy and enjoy architectural spaces, particularly in hospitality, retail, and public applications. Rich feelings of brightness and warmth can be brought to previously dark, forlorn spaces. Animated effects can draw attention to a space. Subtle changes can make a space evolve over the course of time. Or spaces can become chameleon-like, instantly changing color, pattern, or motion to suit different events or customers.
Signage Becomes Lighting
Illuminated sign boxes are increasingly being integrated into the core design concepts of a variety of retail and hospitality applications. They are one of the simplest methods to add vivid luminosity into a space. And other mainstays of classic signage, like channel letters, dimensional lines of light, and various halo effects, are being reimagined and repurposed. These big visual illuminated elements are becoming integral to the conception of many brand standards.
Everything is a Pixel
Networked digital controls have become common in both architectural lighting and traditional signage, resulting in the easy ability to add dimming, color control, dynamic effects, etc. And digital signage has become pervasive in the past few years, replacing menu boards, wayfinding and traditional sign boxes in
applications ranging from mom ‘n pop shops to mega shopping malls, airports and sports arenas. Effectively, every light source – from 4K media displays on down to simple lightbulbs — can be considered a digital “pixel” that forms part of a comprehensive real-world digital experience system.
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These systems can all work together to dynamically change an experiential environment instantly. Imagine a multipurpose stadium: Every piece of branded signage, logos, lighting color themes, etc. – can instantly switch from one team’s brand standard to another.
Branded Experience Development
Spaces need to be conceived from the very initial sketches as live, responsive environments, not lumps of steel, concrete and glass bathed in some stagnant conception of light. Architects and interior designers need to understand the powerful potential of these new systems for branded experience control and start conceiving new programmatic goals that fully exploit their potential.
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About
Brad Koerner
Brad Koerner is a creative leader in the application of advanced lighting technologies and digital media systems. Brad is the VP of Product Development and Innovation at Cima, focused on the development of next-generation architectural lighting systems and digital media systems.
Cima
With a North American platform for full turnkey solutions in signage, custom architectural elements, landmarks, graphics, architectural illumination, and digital signage, Cima supports brands, architects and designers across the country. Your partner in brand experience. We cultivate lasting relationships, crafting environments that engage, inform, direct and connect.
