Everyone I know has faced at least one challenge in 2022. There were health challenges, economic challenges, the lingering pandemic (tripledemic?), war broke out in Europe, and the stock market didn’t know what it wanted to do. But through all of this, the factories I work with and the designers I serve thrived. Staffing filled out as people seemed to find roles that made sense for them. Specifications picked up, even as current projects slowed down. The landscape continues to shift, but as an industry, lighting folks couldn’t be kept down in 2022.

I’m inspired by the work of the Green Light Alliance and WILD and the movement toward more equity both in policy and design the lighting industry has begun to champion in 2022.

We Got Back In Person

Timothy Hart Demonstrating to lighting design students at the USAI Showroom

There were other moments of inspiration in 2022. The team at SDA was able to host an incredible showcase this year, the first in 4 years due to the pandemic. The attendance at the show, both by our factories and the NYC lighting community, reminded us that light is meant to be seen with our eyes.

We Kept Learning Online

One question I had going into this year, where we’ve had the ability to visit more in person, was, “would the design community still engage with digital content in 2022?” The answer was a resounding yes.

Traffic was up on the Delivered Lumens website. Instagram doesn’t provide the best analytics; looking at LinkedIn Analytics shows me that the platform yielded 189K impressions over the last year., also up from the year before.

My focus going into 2023 will be working to create content that supplements in-person learning for our new hybrid workflow. Nearly every design firm I work with has gone to a hybrid model, so it’s incredibly important that we develop ways to show products that serve both audiences (I have some ideas). You’ll also find content targeted at the lighting novice on my YouTube channel (have you subscribed yet?). This is part of my ongoing effort to extend the importance of lighting beyond other lighting people.

The Big Thank You - 10,000 Meals Donated

I have much to be grateful for this year, but not the least of which is the team at SDA, the designers I work with every day and the factories I’m privileged to represent. I struggled this year with what to do for a holiday gift. I’ve tried so many things over the years, but in the end do you need another snack tray, or embossed notebook, or cell phone battery? What I’ve decided to do instead is make a donation to my favorite charity - Feeding America.