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LytePodAuthor: Lytei
Learn about lighting and be inspired. The #1 podcast about the people, process, and product of design - all with a little love for light along the way. Featuring creative minds who want to walk into their own story - from designers to manufacturers, innovators, and professors - unpack their vision, ideas, accomplishments, and habits that make it happen! Language: en Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Culture vs. Trends - Siddharth Mathur
Episode 4
Tuesday, 10 February, 2026
What happens when you sit down with a lighting designer who's spent two decades navigating one of the world's most dynamic, culturally complex markets—and ask him how culture, design, and architecture really intersect?In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel travels to Dubai to sit down with Siddharth (Sid) Mathur, a veteran lighting designer who has witnessed firsthand the transformation of a city that went from drilling pilings for the Burj Khalifa to becoming one of the most internationally influential design hubs in the world. This isn't a conversation about fixtures or specifications—it's a deep dive into the forces that shape how we design, who we design for, and why understanding people is the single most important skill a designer can have.Sid walksreveals why uniformity is the death of design, why a 70-year-old client and a 25-year-old client want completely different things from their lighting (even if they live in the same city), and why the most important part of any project isn't the rendering—it's the person-to-person connection that makes everything else possible.But this conversation goes deeper. It's about the tension between creative vision and client expectation, the exhausting reality of juggling five different cultural contexts in a single day, and why lighting design—despite all its challenges—remains one of the most rewarding professions for those willing to treat it like the marathon it is. Cedar shares why he pushes the envelope on every project, why lighting is the makeup that keeps the perfect marriage of architecture and culture going, and why one person's sparkle is always another person's glare.💡 Key topics explored:• How culture influences perception, preference, and aesthetic—and why that matters for every design decision• The generational divide in lighting expectations: why older clients want uniformity and younger clients want mood• Why social media is reshaping design trends globally—and what that means for lighting designers trying to stay relevant• The evolution of Dubai's design aesthetic from flashy luxury to contextual, barefoot elegance• Why understanding people is more important than understanding products—and how to read culture on every project• The challenge of designing for international clients who want their home in Dubai to look like a hotel in Miami• Why visualizations and renderings have become essential tools—and the double-edged sword they create• How to balance client expectations with creative vision—and why sometimes you just have to give them 450 lux• The importance of pushing boundaries on every project—even if 99% of it is conventional• Why lighting design is a marathon, not a sprint—and what keeps designers coming back despite the exhaustion❤️ Big appreciation for the partners who support this work and trust the vision. They believe in thoughtful conversations, strong community, and letting designers' voices lead. Grateful to build this together.1️⃣ Gotham Lighting - https://watch.lytei.com/gotham2️⃣ Kelvix - https://watch.lytei.com/Kelvix3️⃣ LEDflex - https://watch.lytei.com/LEDFLEX4️⃣ Diode LED - https://watch.lytei.com/diode5️⃣ Targetti USA - https://bit.ly/targettiusa(00:00:00) Intro (00:01:42) Sponsor Spotlight (00:03:06) Welcome to Dubai: Culture Meets Construction (00:05:10) Culture's Influence on Perception, Preference & Aesthetic (00:07:25) The Convergence Problem: Uniformity vs. Authenticity (00:10:16) Social Media, Trends & the Death of Design (00:13:19) What Developers, Clients & Generations Really Want (00:14:45) Dubai's Evolution: From Gold to Barefoot Luxury (00:17:39) Lighting's Role in Culture: Technical vs. Creative (00:20:14) The Client Brief: Pinterest Boards vs. Professional Vision (00:23:36) Before We Continue: Sponsor Spotlight (00:26:01) Service, Not Art: The Designer's Moral Obligation (00:30:23) Showing vs. Telling: Why Seeing Is Believing (00:33:45) Context Is Everything: Designing for Maldives, Kenya, Dubai & Beyond (00:38:28) Reading People: The Secret Skill Design Schools Don't Teach (00:37:33) Sponsor Spotlight: Tarjeti USA (00:42:39) The Builder, The Architect & The Culture of Compromise (00:45:32) The Ironman of Design: Passion, Frustration & Legacy (00:47:14) Pushing Boundaries: The Outdoor Chandelier Story (00:50:54) The Perfect Marriage: Culture, Architecture & Lighting
