STEP ONE: THE REVIEW

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We will begin the process by asking you to send us your current PDF specification sheets. We'll review these cuts to identify points of confusion, lack of clarity, specificity or even conflicting information. We will review these specs from the perspective of design professionals working in the lighting world- Lighting Designers, Architects and Interior Designers.

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We'll then create realistic but also challenging scenarios to test the veracity of your specification. Some examples may include:

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Scenario #1

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I need to specify a linear LED ribbon light in a lensed, extruded aluminum channel. I'll need this for a wall of minimal, clean shelves. The millworker is preparing the shelves to accept the fixture, which will be provided and installed by the electrician after the shelves are installed. We're running behind schedule, so we'll be installing these lights just a few days before the project is turned over to the client.

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Scenario #2

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I'm specifying a typical downlight for a mixed-use building, including a lobby, corridors, amenity spaces, spec offices, a cafe and 40+ condos. It's a fast-track project and the developer is willing to invest in specification-grade lighting for the all spaces but inside the condo units. There's a core and shell Architect and a not terribly detailed Interior Designer doing the design of the interior fit-out. The HVAC system will be design-build. And the developer's financing requires a GMP set to be issued prior to construction start.

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Scenario #3

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The Interior Designer has fallen in love with a new European-manufactured chandelier they saw at Euroluce last week. It will be replacing a specified fixture that was originally selected a year or so ago. It's going into a pre-war NYC apartment, into a newly constructed ceiling vault which was hand-plastered a couple months ago. A 4" pancake box was installed, to maximize the rather low ceiling height. It's using the existing circa 1972 wiring, with a new Forbes and Lomax rotary dimmer.

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We’ll next identify the gaps of information that may have led us down the wrong road, or perhaps led us directly to where we needed to go, but with a few bumps in the road.

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STEP TWO: THE ANALYSIS

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We will begin this step of the process by asking you to send us a physical sample fixture (and its various accessories such as lenses, clips, connectors, feeds, drivers, etc... anything offered on the spec as an option.) Now we'll define the challenges to specifying the product in the real world. We'll apply what we've learned about your product and its specification to relevant scenarios for the product category.

 

We'll illuminate the consequences of a poorly written spec, which will include things like: time lost to figure out how to correct the misunderstanding; broken relationships between manufacturers and specifiers, designers and their reps, designers and contractors, contractors and clients, and designers and clients; tangible damages on the job site; and lost income for all of the players. 

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STEP THREE: THE REDESIGN

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We will create a new, concise specification cut sheet based on what we learned, for your marketing department/ graphic designer’s use in redesigning your specs. We'll ask you to send us mechanical drawings, photos, installation instructions, etc... to help us develop the new cut.