At Hurray, we often say that design is not just about how a space looks, but how it makes you feel. Few elements shape that feeling as quietly and powerfully as light.
In a recent conversation with Jan Andrew Li, President of Knox Corporation, we explored illumination design beyond fixtures and wattage. What emerged was a deeper understanding of light as an architectural force, one that shapes perception, behavior, and the life of a space over time.
Beyond Brightness
For Jan, illumination design is not about simply lighting a room. It is about shaping perception.
“Light defines hierarchy, depth, and atmosphere. It reveals architecture, guides attention, and influences how a space is understood,” he shares.
A well lit space is not necessarily a bright one. It is intentional. Luminance, contrast, and direction work together to create clarity. Certain elements are highlighted. Others recede. Circulation becomes intuitive. Materials come alive.
In this way, light becomes part of the architecture itself. It is not applied. It is integrated.
How Light Shapes Behavior
Have you ever noticed how you gravitate toward a softly glowing corner in a restaurant, or how a well lit pathway instinctively tells you where to walk?
Thoughtful lighting quietly guides behavior. People move toward brighter focal points. They linger in areas that feel visually comfortable. Warm, balanced light encourages relaxation and conversation. Controlled contrast creates orientation and clarity.
“When lighting is right, people rarely notice it,” Jan explains. “But they feel at ease and connected to the space and to each other.”
That is the true power of illumination design. It works in the background, yet it shapes the entire experience.
Rethinking Common Misconceptions
One of the most common misconceptions clients have is equating lighting with fixtures or brightness. The question often becomes, “How many lights do we need?”
Jan invites us to think differently.
Lighting should be approached as a layered system that supports function, creates atmosphere, and reveals materials. Instead of counting fixtures, we should be asking, “What should the space feel like?” and “How should it function?”
When illumination is considered part of the architectural framework, it moves beyond decoration. It becomes infrastructure for experience.
Designing for Transition
At Hurray, we design many spaces that evolve over time. Homes shift through life stages. Workplaces transform with growing teams and new ways of working.
Illumination design supports this evolution through layering. By establishing clear ambient, task, and accent layers, a single environment can adapt without major structural changes.
The same room can shift from focused work to social gathering simply by adjusting which layers of light are active. The architecture remains intact, yet the experience transforms.
Layered lighting allows flexibility without losing visual balance. It ensures that as needs change, the space remains relevant, intentional, and supportive of the next chapter.
The Art and Engineering of Collaboration
Lighting design, Jan describes, is like walking on a tightrope. It balances vision and technical reality. Architects, interior designers, owners, and on site teams must all align.
Lighting is both art and engineering.
When collaboration happens early, lighting intent aligns seamlessly with spatial planning, material selection, and buildability. It becomes integrated into the architecture rather than applied at the end.
The result is a space that feels resolved. Cohesive. Whole.
Illuminating With Intention
Illumination design is not about brightness. It is about clarity. It is about revealing what matters. It is about shaping how a space is perceived, inhabited, and remembered.
When light is designed with intention, it does more than allow us to see. It helps us understand where we are, how we move, and how we connect.
In every project, that quiet influence makes all the difference.