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Light Talk PodcastAuthor: Martin Klaasen
Martin Klaasen is an award winning lighting designer with more than 40 years of experience in the lighting industry. Back in 2009 Martin blogged about his experiences on a daily basis for a full year. This compilation of blogs became his first book titled Light Talk, A Year in the Life of Light. His second book, Light Talk 2, offers an incredible insight on how the lighting industry has evolved; a compilation of 16 years of writing for Lighting Today Magazine. In 2020 Martin made the transition from his written blog to recording his blog on video, which is now the Light Talk Vlog, where Martin shares his experiences throughout the year in the life of a professional lighting designer; the challenges, opportunities, the business and future of the lighting design industry. Welcome to the Light Talk Podcast, an extension of Martin's vlogs now capturing a wider listening audience. We hope you all thoroughly enjoy the journey. This first episode commencing August 2020 to kick start the new financial year. Language: en-us Genres: Arts, Business, Design Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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AI Won’t Replace Designers; It Will Expose Who’s Just Pushing Spreadsheets
Episode 16
Tuesday, 17 February, 2026
Send a textWhat if a building could act like a good host—aware of time, mood, and context—because its walls, ceilings, and fixtures are all speaking fluent light? That’s the world explored with immersive design veteran Brad Koerner, who connects dots from Disney show control and Harvard studios to Color Kinetics, microLED production, and today’s AI-powered workflows. The thesis is bold and practical: every light is a pixel, every pixel is a light, and the space you occupy is the best interface to the digital world.We pull apart the myth that AI “replaces” creativity. Instead, Brad shows how tools like Midjourney, large language models, and rapid prototyping let designers stock the idea funnel in hours, not weeks, then do the real work—curation, de-risking, and shipping. We contrast spreadsheet lighting with theatre’s living vocabulary of time and motion, and we follow that thread into retail and healthcare: generative media that slashes content costs, luxury fitting rooms that earn the sale, and patient rooms that heal through spectrum, narrative, and calm. Along the way, we touch DC power, data-driven optimisation, and microLED walls that are nearly indistinguishable from reality, complete with extended channels for accurate skin tones and circadian-aware scenes.If your toolbox stops at dimmers and presets, this conversation expands your map. We talk privacy as a spectrum—from anonymous reactions to check-in personalisation—and why designers should own that placement with clarity and care. We also tackle education and leadership, arguing for judgment over tool worship and for cross-silo fluency that merges lighting, AV, content, and IT into one coherent experience. The bottom line: technology is no longer the bottleneck; imagination, coordination, and courage are.Enjoy the episode, share it with a colleague who still thinks AV is “not our spec,” and leave a review with the one space you’d transform first. Your feedback helps more curious listeners find the show.More from the Light Talk Desk Watch my vlogs, industry dialogues and project tours. Listen to enriching stories, deep insights, and expert opinions in my podcast. Learn directly from a master, absorbing the knowledge, techniques and the artistry of lighting design through my masterclass. Sign Up to the AI Fundamentals course for Lighting Designers. Download and delve into my works 'Light Talk, a Year in the Life of Light' and 'Light Talk 2, 16 Years in the Life of Light' - follow the journey of lighting design through his books. Check out lighttalk.space
