Designers: Take Control of Pricing, Procurement & Specification
Paul Boken, CEO, Co-Founder
I talk to lighting designers all over the world, and the same challenge keeps coming up: we are losing power, not gaining it. Too often, designers set the vision but leave procurement and pricing to others, only to see their work get value-engineered into oblivion. If we don’t own the procurement strategy and the budget for our designs, someone else will—and it won’t be in service of good lighting.
Designers need to take a more active role in pricing and procurement, ensuring that specifications are not just recommendations but protected mandates. Setting a clear design vision isn’t enough—we must also set the tone for how our projects are purchased and built. If we don’t establish a firm price for quality, procurement teams and contractors will find ways to strip our designs down to whatever fits their budget and maximizes their profit, regardless of intent or impact.
When Designers Lose Control of Procurement, Design Suffers
- When price becomes the sole factor, the nuance and experience of good lighting design are lost. The layers, the warmth, the careful interplay of light and shadow—replaced by whatever is cheapest.
- When contractors run the show, commoditization of your design is inevitable. They are incentivized to find substitutions that maximize margins, not maintain the integrity of your concept.
- When procurement prioritizes cost over quality, innovation is punished. Unique, high-performing products are replaced with mass-market alternatives that "get the job done" but fail to elevate the space.
Designers Need to Build Moats Around Their Specifications
- Own the budget conversation – Set the expectation that good lighting has a cost and defend that number from the start.
- Make procurement a strategic part of design – Make it clear how products should be sourced and who should be involved. Build local alliances with distributors and agents prior to tender. Don’t shut them out—invite them in!
- Align with agents and manufacturers – Work with those who advocate for quality and become a united front to push back against procurement-led downgrades.
If we don’t take control, others will dictate the future of lighting design for us. Are we willing to let that happen?
Would love to hear how others are tackling this—what strategies have worked for you in keeping your designs intact through procurement?
