Bringing Light To Retail

This research evaluates and enhances the integration of lighting software with interior design to optimise retail store layouts and customer experiences. Currently, retail stores often feature bland and flat lighting, using the same Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) throughout, which fails to create standout features or enhance product presentation. The aim is to develop electric lighting strategies that not only ensure adequate illumination for functionality but also elevate the aesthetic appeal and consumer perception of products. Bringing Light to Retail embodies these aims by using physically accurate lighting simulations to explore how lighting, materials, colours, and products interact within retail spaces. This approach enables testing and refinement of design ideas within a controlled environment, offering accurate feedback on the interplay between light and colour in a way that conventional design software cannot achieve.

The study highlights the limitations of current rendering tools, which often produce unrealistic results, leaving designers unable to test their concepts under accurate lighting conditions.

By leveraging advanced lighting simulation capabilities, this research aims to provide designers with the tools to better predict and influence the effects of lighting on interior spaces and product presentation.

Through simulation, analysis, and illustrative design solutions, this research explores potential architectural responses in retail settings. The resulting strategies are expected to enhance both the functionality and visual impact of lighting, ultimately improving the consumer experience and showcasing products in their best light.

This research involved testing a Radiance software to evaluate its ability to accurately model lighting within two distinct retail environments, each with unique aesthetics. By focusing on one specific area in each store, the software was used to simulate lighting strategies, showcasing its adaptability to varied design styles. These methods were then conceptually extended to the entire store to explore their broader application. The findings from Bringing Light to Retail highlight how using physically accurate lighting simulations can bridge the gap between design and application, equipping interior designers with a precise and practical software for enhancing retail lighting design.

This research is supported by a critical review of academic literature that underpins the scope of this proposition.