Project management tools may have become a commonplace part of most companies’ online presence, but some inspire more loyalty than others. Lightology, the lighting technology and design authority known for its striking Chicago showroom and robust website offering a vast array of contemporary and modern fixtures, recently launched its Projects feature to the near-immediate adoption of its trade members and the design community at large.
“For anyone who needs to share files with their architect, electrician or contractor, itemize spreadsheets or calculate costs, it just makes sense,” says Mark Thiel, marketing director for the company, of the collaborative online workspace. Recognizing that customers were using the website’s existing Wishlist tab to categorize products, Lightology’s research and development team seized the opportunity to upgrade the platform with the debut of Projects, the latest addition to its dashboard.
While customers at the retail level can use Projects to pick out fixtures for an individual room, it’s particularly beneficial to the trade. Once they’ve registered for an account, the new tool lets trade users create as many projects as they’d like, then further organize them by room, location and so on. Templates can be archived and duplicated for quick re-use. Spec sheets and fixture schedules can be automatically generated. And both delivery estimates and trade-exclusive pricing are updated in real time—which means no more waiting for a quote.
Projects addresses the underlying complication of specifying lighting: A chandelier is not just a chandelier. “It’s also the lightbulbs and the dimmer switch and a transformer—all these disparate but necessary elements for just the one light,” says Thiel. In the case of a hotel or hospitality job, designers multiply each of those components by 100 or more. “It can become cumbersome,” he adds. By allowing design pros to shop Lightology’s extensive catalog of fixtures and accessories (plus some furniture too), then group all their choices in one place, Projects helps simplify one of the more complex categories in the architecture and design space—and at every step of the way, multiple team members can link to the same project and work on it simultaneously. Whether it’s an architect reviewing a blueprint or a client considering the costs, users are in full control of which collaborators have read-only access or editing rights.
“Our Projects feature fits seamlessly into Lightology’s larger vision of high-tech design services,” says Thiel. Those integrated services currently include not only virtual chats but also virtual consultations with ALA–certified experts to walk through a space with design pros. Through its Room Rendering tool, trade members can submit sketches and concepts that are then transformed into photo-realistic visuals showing lights and other products in place. A year ago, the company debuted 3D modeling, which, combined with its AR capacity, lets customers see an item at scale in their own home before buying. With the expanded Projects options, clients can now browse those 3D models and 2D images, then bookmark them in their designated room. Thiel hints that this is just “phase one” of the management function, with more bells and whistles in the works. “We continue to grow our full suite of tools with the goal of making shopping for lighting easier for the trade,” says Thiel.
This story is a paid promotion and was created in partnership with Lightology.
