With the release of Sketches of Lighting, a book that reveals how designers develop concepts for lamps, co-author Daniel Schofield discusses eight of the most interesting examples.
A follow-up to last year’s Sketches of Seating, Sketches of Lighting features sketches by 40 of today’s leading designers, offering insight into the process behind product development.
The project is a collaboration between Schofield, a British designer based in Denmark, and Rhys Kearns, art director for fashion label Norse Projects. It includes a foreword by another Denmark-based British designer, Sam Weller.
“It’s a way of capturing the early, often unseen stages of the creative process and offering a glimpse into how objects begin to take shape,” Schofield told Dezeen.
“Do people sketch lighting differently?”
Each designer was asked to share an early sketch of a lighting design that has since been put into production. Each is shown in the book alongside a photograph of the eventual product.
“The response to Sketches of Seating was deeply encouraging,” said Schofield. “It confirmed that there’s real interest in seeing not just the final product, but the thinking that leads to it – the questions, the iterations, the rough lines that eventually become form.”
With Sketches of Lighting, Schofield and Kearns wanted to show how the development of an alternative type of object might play out differently in a designer’s sketchbook.
“Do people sketch lighting differently than they do a chair?” said Schofield.
“How do the constraints of a discipline shape the early stages of a project? What happens when electronics, wiring, and a light source enter the equation? These are some of the questions we asked, and we invite you to ask them too.”
Sketches of Lighting launched during 3 Days of Design, with a wider release planned for later in the year.
Read on for details of the eight sketches that Schofield selected:
Moisés Hernández
This colour sketch by Mexican designer Moisés Hernández explores the light reflection of his LBM table lamp produced by Danish brand Hay.
“It’s a lovely abstract way to illustrate an idea,” said Schofield.
Nifemi Marcus-Bello
Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello shared a page of concept sketches for his Selah Lamp, produced by Madrid-based manufacturer Caliper.
“It’s a real thought map, a conversation between head, hand and paper – lovely to see,” said Schofield.
Alexander Gerber
This sketch by Swiss-French designer Alexandra Gerber explores the hanging mechanism in her Hook pendant, which was part of the debut collection from European brand NINE.
Schofield described it as “a fast-looking, expressive sketch”. He said: “I like the addition of colour to show different components.”
Inga Sempé
This sketch by French designer Inga Sempé shows the assembly of her Ile W153 clip lamp, produced by Swedish manufacturer Wastberg.
“It is somewhat closer to a technical drawing yet still with a human feel from the handwriting,” said Schofield.
91-92
Zeyu Rong and Weibo Sun, founders of Copenhagen-based 3D-printing studio 91-92, shared a series of sketches for their December Table Lamp.
“It feels quick and free,” said Schofield. “You get the sense this was done quickly to start an idea, then moved into 3D.”
Jasper Morrison
British designer Jasper Morrison shared a simple line drawing of Smithfield, a powder-coated aluminium pendant lamp designed for Italian brand Flos.
“I like how simple it is, and the arrows bring some humour to it,” said Schofield.
Keiji Takeuchi
The use of captions helps to explain the thinking behind the Lacquer pendant lights developed by Japanese designer Keiji Takeuchi for NINE.
“I like the reference to the Japanese lacquer bowl,” said Schofield. “It’s nice to see where an idea started and how that translates to a product.”
Miguel Milá
This page of sketches was produced by the late Spanish designer Miguel Milá when he was developing his TMC lamp, originally designed for his own brand, Tramo, but now produced by Santa & Cole.
“You really feel he was trying to understand how this might be made and function,” said Schofield. “It’s a nice glimpse into his thought process and problem-solving.”
3 Days of Design took place in Copenhagen from 18 to 20 June 2025. Visit Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
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