Believe me, poor lighting gets noticed
"What’s interesting is that people don’t notice quality lighting but they do notice poor quality light"
When I read this quote by Xicato CEO and Co-Founder, Menko Deroos the other day I was in total agreement. I have stores and restaurants I avoid because of their gloomy unpleasant lighting and others I frequent because they feel welcoming just with the lighting they use. Some big box chains have horrible lighting that makes everything look - well, cheap. Since these are successful businesses and obviously know what they are doing, I am wondering if their designers deliberately choose lighting that makes their businesses convey the feeling of offering a good deal, being cheap. Poor lighting makes us feel "blah" even though we can't put a finger on why.
Even if we are not aware of it, thoughtful lighting design makes us feel good and plays a major role in how we experience the world around us. We perk up, have fun, feel better looking, want to linger - and spend money. There will be more in-depth blog posts about retail and restaurant coming soon.
