Kiran is a senior designer with FPOV, in London. She graduated from London South Bank University in 2012 with a First Class Honours degree in Product Design. Like so many others, it was that experience that led to her fascination with lighting and career in lighting design.
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What was the fascination with lighting that drew you into this career?
Growing up, my favourite festival was Diwali (the festival of light) which involves a lot of food, time with family, fireworks and decorating your house with divas, candles and twinkling lights.
When I was at university studying Product Design we had a module on lighting where we had to create an innovative luminaire. After that I was hooked and knew it would an aspect of design that I would like to explore further. Following that year, I had the opportunity to work at a lighting consultancy for my industrial placement. For my major project I, again, created a luminaire (an IP rated dynamic decorative pendant) and wrote my dissertation on how lighting has influenced and enhanced design.
I enjoy the nuance of lighting, how it can completely change the look and feel of a space but also the user’s mood. From using low level warm/amber lighting to create a romantic intimate setting to using high powered cooler white lighting for a busy office setting.
There are lots of aspects to creating good lighting design; is there any one aspect of the process that means more to you than anything else?
I would say co-ordination with the rest of the design team, especially when it comes to design details. Details can make or break a design, in my opinion, so it is vital that co-ordination and workshops are carried out throughout the design process. It’s never fun to hear that the joinery units cannot include lighting because the shelves weren’t made thick enough to recess a linear LED profile into it.
I guess we should also ask, for balance, is there anything in the process that you’d prefer to avoid and pass onto someone else in the studio?
The value engineering stage. Not so much avoid but rather wish the stage didn’t exist. This stage is always a little bit heart-breaking. Having put so much work into the concept, schematic and detail stage, having the client approve the designs at all stages, only then to be told that the budget has been used up elsewhere on the project and that we need to cut our lighting. It’s never fun. When it comes to this stage I tend to keep the “wow” moments in the design and try to specify more cost effective luminaires elsewhere.
What or who are your influences when it comes to light creation?
I try to take inspiration wherever possible. Whether it be a restaurant I walk into and immediately love the ambience, to visiting light art festivals, to being out in nature and looking at how natural light seeps through the leaves. Inspiration is all around us but sometimes the day to day grind prevents us from seeing it.
Tell us something about you that exists outside of lighting.
I am a bit of a foodie and avid baker which as you can imagine is not great on the hips. Luckily, I also enjoy a bit of boxing on the side which combats the calories!
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