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Everyone intuitively knows that lighting affects mood. You feel better on a bright day filled with sunshine. You are more likely to feel a lack of energy on a cloudy gloomy day. School rooms and office spaces have traditionally been lit by bright flourescent lights to mimic a bright sunny day increasing attentiveness. Turn on a 1950’s love story movie and the phrase romantic lighting is sure to come up. Your sleep pattern is dictated by the natural pattern of day and night, referred to as body clock and scientifically as circadian rhythm. The intrinsic knowledge that lighting affects human behavior has now been confirmed in the age of technology by scientific research and studied by the designers of Ideoli Group. The subject of workplace lighting was considered by Dr. Mirjam Muench and his associates for an article on productivity. They tested a work place with daylight (without giving the subjects window views) against a workplace with artificial light. The conclusion of their research showed that those in the artificial lighting became less alert, had mood changes with less visual comfort by the day’s end. Whereas, the subjects who worked in natural light were more alert as evening approached, had less mood swings during the day without discernable eye strain. Professor John S. Dyson of Cornell, whose area of expertise includes eating behaviors tested his theory that lighting affects how much you eat. Two groups were giving the same menu in the same eating space with different lighting. One group was subjected to bright lights, the other to more subdued lighting. Those that ate in the subdued lighting made healthier food choices, ate fewer calories and enjoyed their food more than their counterparts in the brightly lit dining area. These considerations are essential in a space design at Ideoli. Supermarkets have long known the value of lighting in appealing to consumers. The meat always looks redder in the butcher case, the lettuce always looks greener in the produce case. Not because of the brightness of the light, it is the warmth of the light. Artificial lighting has a measurement known as CCT, Correlated Color Temperature, a scientific way to measure the light spectrum produced that are affecting the colors that are perceived. An example that everyone can relate to is the term on a light bulb box, Cool White, which is describing the CCT of the light output of that bulb. A Cool White light bulb in your bathroom will display a different you in the morning than a bulb at the lower end of the CCT spectrum. When considering the use of a space, lighting is an essential element. Your bedroom should have a softer light with a lower CCT to allow your circadian clock to wind down. A home office used during day light hours, brighter with a higher CCT number to keep you attentive. There really is different lighting for different areas of your home. In your business the right lighting choices will improve your bottom line. When it’s time for Ideoli to invigorate your work space, hospitality, retail or office, lighting is an essential element of the design. The professional space designers at Ideoli are well versed in the importance and significance of the lighting needed to bring every space to its full potential. Knowing, the brightness, warmth, and impact of each lighting choice is a crucial part of any redesign. Lighting for your customers and staff are calculated to meet all the requirements of your environment. Lighting is not an afterthought for the designers of Ideoli, it is an integrated component that enhances the entire project. Is it time to invigorate your space? Let Ideoli show you the light. 

LED lighting offers exciting opportunities to improve commercial environments in a variety of ways. From overall cost savings to energy savings to greater design flexibility, LEDs have a wide range of benefits over other types of lights like incandescent and fluorescent. Yet many myths exist regarding LEDs, and we’re here to debunk those so you know what to expect from this type of versatile lighting technology Myth #1: They’re too expensive. Although the initial purchase price of LEDs can be more expensive than other light sources, the cost is often much more attractive upon closer examination. First of all, some energy utilities offer rebates for customers that switch to LED lighting. You can check this site to see if your state offers any incentives for specific lighting applications. Next, as LEDs gain more market penetration and technologies improve, the prices will continue to come down. Lastly, the total lifetime cost tends to significantly favor LEDs. This technology is generally more energy efficient than other types, thereby reducing electricity costs. Plus, a single bulb can last over 10 years, whereas an incandescent light source might only last a year or so. As a result, you save on replacement costs, including the maintenance fees for having to replace hard-to access bulbs and fixtures in commercial spaces. Myth #2: Changing to LED will not affect electric bills. As indicated above, LEDs help you save money on your electric bill, both because of rebates from utilities as well as from using less kilowatt hours of energy. In fact, operating at a lower wattage enables LEDs to save you around 75-80% on energy costs compared to traditional incandescent light sources. Myth #3: They’re not bright enough. This myth is fueled in part because light bulbs are often rated in watts. A 12W LED might operate at the same brightness as a 60W incandescent, but someone might see the higher number associated with incandescents and assume that means it’s brighter. However, watts are really a measurement of the rate of power usage. Since LEDs are more efficient, they operate at lower wattage. Instead, buyers should really be looking at lumens as a measure of brightness. Both 100W incandescent light bulbs and a 16W LED bulb could have the same output of 1,600 lumens. Meanwhile, a 60W LED bulb is bright enough to blind you. Myth #4: All LEDs are the same. Businesses often make lighting purchases based on price, thinking that lighting is a commodity. However, lights from different brands can vary in the quality of their performance, and they can have different warranties. Especially for a category on the cutting edge like LEDs, it’s important to consider the broader spectrum of quality, considering that some brands invest more than others in research, manufacturing and testing to ensure their products last longer, maintain luminosity, display the intended color, and have other factors that serve as differentiators. Myth #5: LEDs last forever. While the LED myths we’re debunking should inspire optimism in using these bulbs, it’s important to keep expectations realistic. With that in mind, know that LEDs do not last forever, though it might seem like they do compared to other bulbs. They can last up to around 50,000 hours, meaning an LED bulb used for 10 hours per day, every day, would last nearly 14 years. That being said, it does not mean that the quality of light will be the same after this period of time. Myth #6: They’re heatless To properly set expectations, it’s also important to note that LEDs are not heatless, but they might seem like it in comparison to other bulbs. Most of the energy from incandescents escapes as heat rather than light, which is why they feel so much hotter than LEDs and are less efficient. Yet LEDs still produce some warmth, and the diodes and internal components of an LED light are very hot. Good LED product manufacturers dissipate this heat better than others. Ideoli’s foundation as a company is rooted in LED technology. The founders, George Stroumboulis and Chris Hartswick, have been part of LED lighting startups prior to Ideoli and have been involved with the design, development, manufacturing and sale of some of the industry’s leading LED products. As you can see with these debunked myths, LEDs offer clear advantages over other types of light bulbs. By knowing the facts, it’s easier to choose the lighting source that best suits the needs of your business. Ideoli is well positioned to help you make those lighting choices. 

When it comes to industry-leading products, it’s not just what’s on the inside that matters, but also what’s on the outside. Fair or not, consumers do “judge a book by its cover,” so it’s important for brands in all types of sectors to develop great packaging from both a functionality and design perspective. Having great packaging makes a direct impact on your sales. In fact, a study by Nielsen found that “choosing the right design direction [for packaging] can increase forecasted product sales by 5.5%.” In some sectors, packaging can be a particularly important way to attract customers. Although Ideoli does not operate in the grocery space, we learn a lot from the sector, as grocery items’ packaging can make a very large impact. “Packaging on a supermarket shelf typically has less than three seconds to grab a consumer’s attention. Additionally, more than 70 per cent of purchasing decisions are made at the shelf,” notes Velda Croot, who served as a business development director at brand design firm JDO, as quoted in an article in The Drum. So choosing the right packaging differentiates your brand from others and creates a strong first impression before the customer even sees or tries the finished product. “Packaging is absolutely fundamental, and I would say the most important element in the customer purchasing journey, and that’s whether you’re a leading brand or a challenger brand…if it doesn’t do its job on shelf then you’re wasting your time,” adds Simon Preece head of client partnerships at brand design firm Elmwood, as quoted in the aforementioned article in The Drum. Product packaging is an integral part of the overall customer experience and directly appeals to consumers’ emotions. Think of the design aesthetics in tech stores like Apple and how the packaging matches that sleek, ultra-modern feel. Or look at how certain jewelry stores have iconic packaging that connects customers to feelings of luxury and exclusivity. In other words, packaging plays an important role in developing your brand and advertising your products. And for those familiar with your brand, it can help consumers quickly recognize your offerings.