Dive into the World of Aquarium Lighting

As designers, the Lightswitch team often has to move deftly between varying project types. Our role requires a good deal of balance and logistical strategy, no matter the client. But the field we have found to be one of the most unique, challenging, and ultimately rewarding is that of aquarium lighting.

Gaylord Hotels + Lightswitch

Building the Client-Designer Relationship

No matter the industry, a good client relationship is integral to the work of designers. Perhaps none of our clients embody this essential relationship so well as Gaylord Hotels

Lightswitch holidays 2023

Every year, our team dives headfirst into the creation of new and established holiday light shows. From the winding paths of Enchanted Forest of Light to the astounding artistry of Gaylord Hotels' ICE!, we delight in bringing these projects to life. While the sun may be setting earlier these days, we make the nights brighter and more festive all season long. Read on to learn what we've been up to this holiday season!

Lightswitch at 30

PLSN

The design collective Lightswitch is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year as they were officially formed in 1993. Over those three decades, the collective has moved well beyond just lighting and now positions the firm as ‘lighting, media, and visual designers’, with six offices. PLSN spoke with the two Founding Principals—John Featherstone and Norm Schwab about hitting this impressive milestone, the culture of the collective, and why they believe clients trust Lightswitch.

Five Things You Need To Know To Successfully Run a Live Event

Medium

Put yourself in the shoes of the audience. For example, if a show is for a tech company you’re going to need stellar wifi and a lot of charging stations (located where they’re useful, so we don’t have bloggers sitting on the floor against wall in the back of the room next to a plug). Make water stations available. Think about what you’d need if you were in that audience.

Design Consideration For The Performance Installation "Love, A State Of Grace"

Live Design

Joanna Haigood of Zaccho Dance Theater was intrigued by the idea of a site-specific dance performance in collaboration with Grace Cathedral at the pinnacle of Nob Hill in San Francisco since 2018. The result is Love, a state of grace, an aerial performance installation seen for two weeks in February 2022.

'Hans Zimmer Live' Tour Announced With Odessa Opera Orchestra From Ukraine

Pollstar

Hans Zimmer, the man responsible for some of the biggest and most well-known movie soundtracks and films scores, is going back on tour in Europe, and this time, he'll be on stage himself again.

REIGNITING EXPERIENCES

Much of our work here at Lightswitch depends on an element of community. While virtual events have flourished since the start of the pandemic, we admit that it's been difficult operating without the in-person experiences that mean so much to us. In spite of this, we're very proud of all we achieved in 2021.

garden experience reel

designspace

PLSN Magazine

It’s been a long year of home stays, interspersed with all-too-brief visits to the outside world around us through two dimensional screens. The students at Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, under the guiding hand of John Featherstone of Lightswitch Inc., have blown through those screens with a unique immersive experience called "designspace."

Designing at the Intersection of Light, Art & Nature

Immersive Experiential Design within horticultural contexts points to a trend of lighting within the art realm. The lines are blurring between gallery and exhibition as environments transformed by light, sound, and interactive sculpture become the art itself. This new form of experiential design is sweeping through all facets of placemaking, and creating experiences that feel deeply personal for both artists and audience.

Bridging Artistry and Pragmatism

The Power of Collaboration

Despite their difficulties, successful art installations are incredibly rewarding for each party involved. We believe that the challenges of art installation primarily originate from one source: miscommunication. Artists and developers occupy distinctly separate realms, speaking almost entirely different languages when it comes to communicating their vision and objectives. At Lightswitch, we are uniquely situated between these two worlds, and are therefore able to act as a bridge between artist and development team, helping both sides realize the one goal they have in common: a stunning finished product. 

The Pink Triangle

in 2020, Pride in the Bay Area took place under the light of an enormous, glowing pink triangle among the hills of Twin Peaks. The installment is the latest iteration of Patrick Carney’s The Pink Triangle, a reclamation of the symbol once sewn onto Nazi concentration camp prisoners’ garments to identify them as gay.

Boardroom to Broadcast

In the last few months, we’ve seen “what it means to gather” undergo a seismic shift. From live concerts to live stream, conference rooms to conference calls, individuals and companies are rapidly shifting how they communicate and what that communication looks like. It’s a period of enormous change, fueled by a growing understanding that social distancing may keep audiences online for a lot longer than originally anticipated. Rather than cancel and postpone their events indefinitely, our clients are searching for ways to bring their events to their audiences by turning to online experiences and entertainment.

Ignite! Executive Visions Produces a Spectacular Live Experience for NuSkin

PLSN Magazine

When a company has literally millions of sales representatives, employees and customers around the world, it takes a spectacular event to engage them all. That’s the challenge faced by the team that creates the biennial NuSkin event, a conference and celebration for all of the people involved in this direct-to-consumer skin care and lifestyle products company.

Bently Heritage Estate Distillery

Minden, Nevada

Once the largest operating mill and creamery in the area, today they have been restored to modern LEED Gold-certified standards, and sit proudly on the National Register of Historic Places.

At Descanso Gardens, a different kind of winter light show

Los Angeles Times

At Descanso Gardens, a different kind of winter light show

Lightswitch and E3: Over 20 Years of Success

Lightswitch is celebrating its 23rd year of successful collaboration at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Our long history at the international video game trade show in attributable not only our knowledge of the market and our multidisciplinary approach, but also a deep understanding of the extreme loyalty, fierce competition, and emotional connections that come with the gaming experience. By creating fresh, sophisticated, and on-brand environments for our clients, we are truly able to bring these virtual worlds to life.

Lightswitch Illuminates NuSkin Corporate Event

Live Design

Nu Skin, a leading anti-aging-product company, held its most recent corporate event, Nu Skin Live, on October 10-13, 2017, with Lightswitch providing illumination for the sessions as well as a corporate gala and Maroon 5 concert at The Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.

Enchanted: Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens

PLSN Magazine

Enchanted: Forest of Light is an interactive, nighttime experience unlike anything else in Southern California, featuring a one-mile walk through 10 distinct lighting displays in some of the most beloved areas of Descanso Gardens.

Beijing in Las Vegas

LD+A Magazine

Vibrant colors bring Asia to America at the Lucky Dragon Hotel and Casino

THE RIPPLE EFFECT – A New Paradigm for Corporate Events at CISCO LIVE

LIVEDESIGN

Cisco raised the benchmark for corporate events with a visually exciting, 360° experience with Cisco Live, held June 25 to 29 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas

The Writers Theatre: Going Above and Beyond

Writers Theatre was a complex project where close collaboration with the architect and greater design team was critical. At every opportunity, Lightswitch went above and beyond to ensure the lighting was not only functional, but also supported the architecture, met the Client’s goals and aspirations, and enhanced the environment for Theatre patrons and Glencoe residents alike.

Lightswitch and the Auto Industry: A Strategic Partnership

Lightswitch has a unique and long-standing partnership with the auto industry. Our experience goes beyond auto shows and includes events for dealerships, press events, dealer meetings, and auto exhibits.

A Titan's Lair

From Architectural Lighting

Chicago-based Boka Restaurant Group’s new steakhouse Swift & Sons, couldn’t be in a more fitting location. Housed in a cold-storage facility built in the 1920s in the city’s West Loop, it originally served as the way station for tons of raw meat from the surrounding stockyards for more than 90 years.

E3 and Lightswitch: Long Time Runnin'

PLSN

Lightswitch has had a long history designing lighting for gaming experiences at the premier conference for this multi-billion dollar industry.

Installations to Inspire

Stage Directions

A look at four of the most innovative recent theatrical technical projects built in the United States.

A Starring Role

Architectural SSL

A tightly coordinated lighting plan by designers with the Chicago office of Lightswitch Architectural for the new Writers Theatre in Glencoe, Ill., gives top billing to LEDs.

Color-Tunable Sources Make for Artful Illumination

Architectural SSL

Illuminating great works of art is not a task to be taken lightly,