Case Study: A Year in Lighting – Reuben Williams’ Journey with Holophane

Having studied at Loughborough University, his career path seemed set in a different direction - until The LIA stepped in, providing insight into the opportunities within the sector. With guidance and signposting from The LIA, Reuben found his way to Holophane, where he has now spent the past year developing his skills and knowledge in lighting.

In this case study, we explore Reuben’s journey so far - what he has learned, how his perceptions have changed, and what advice he would give to others who may not have considered lighting as a career option.

Background & Career Pathway

Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you studied at Loughborough University?
Growing up, I developed a curiosity surrounding design and the decisions that lie behind the curtain of everyday products. That lead to me applying to and studying Product Design and Technology at Loughborough where not only did I learn about key design principles, but also about manufacturing technologies and practices.

Before The LIA’s involvement, did you have any awareness of the lighting industry as a career option?
In honesty, other than designing stage lighting for live events which was one of countless background thoughts at the time, I had no other knowledge of the lighting industry in general being a career path I could take after university.

How did The LIA introduce you to opportunities in lighting, and what was your initial reaction?
During my final year at Loughborough we had a 10-day design challenge, where several companies from across the design/engineering industry visited to present a selection of design briefs to work to and develop a product solution. This is where I was first introduced to the LIA in partnership with Holophane and discovered how integral light is to everyday life, despite how lighting design and engineering is seldom thought by so many including me.

I took on Holophane/The LIA’s brief of designing a lighting solution to mitigate impact on wildlife and thoroughly enjoyed the challenges of learning about a new topical field and the basics of lighting design theory. I finished the project with a drive to learn more and get involved, so I eagerly got in touch to enquire about opportunities.

First Impressions & Learning Curve

What was your first impression of the lighting industry when you joined Holophane?
The breadth of the Holophane product repertoire immediately showed me how lighting design and engineering can be far more specialised and catered to clients’ needs than I initially thought. I was also impressed about the efforts of the company and The LIA to strive towards sustainability within the industry, which I find is ever more important to strive to as years go by.

How has your understanding of lighting changed over the past year?
From surface-level queries like why some luminaires have sensors to being able to understand their differences and uses in public areas, I have obtained a breadth of knowledge about what aspects of lighting are necessary to satisfy a diverse range of requirements.

What aspects of the industry have surprised you the most?
What struck me initially was how many moving parts there are that constitute a successful luminaire. There are many aspects that go into designing a luminaire that I had not considered: lighting controls & communication nodes, emergency lighting options, indoor vs outdoor differences and the necessity for configurable products, to name a few.

Role & Responsibilities at Holophane

What does your current role at Holophane involve?
As a graduate engineer my duties include being responsible for certain luminaires, designing parts and contacting suppliers for samples, building and testing, communicating with the purchasing and production teams, and maintaining bills of materials and part sub-assemblies. There is also a level of supporting the engineering team in other areas like keeping records of lighting controls devices and configuring one-off versions of products.

What have been some of the key projects or experiences that have shaped your first year?
After my first month, I had the opportunity of work on developing a product for the UK/Europe market. This process of evaluating parts and then re-engineering them from start to launch has resulted as an excellent tutorial period for my role.

Have there been any standout moments or achievements that you are particularly proud of?
Some standout confidence-building moments for me have been as early as seeing parts I design arrive and work exactly as intended, to switching on the live power to the luminaire I previously mentioned and seeing it light up and work as hoped, to recently reaching its commercial launch after many months of hard work.

Skills & Career Development

What new skills have you developed since joining Holophane?
Refined CAD skills, deeper understanding of electronics and components involved with lighting, and greater comprehension about parts and subassemblies and their roles within products with countless variations, to name a few.

How has The LIA supported your professional development over the past year?
After the university design challenge at Loughborough, I reached out to The LIA and they helped keep in touch and notified me with prospective opportunities – directly leading to the graduate engineering role I have now.

Have you had any mentoring or training opportunities that have helped you settle into the industry?
Throughout my time at Holophane so far, my manager and team have been exceptionally helpful with showing me how to carry out certain tasks, demonstrating the purposes of specific parts/components and where to find them, and showing me tips and tricks with the design software I was already familiar with from university. This ongoing support has assisted me in my growth as an engineering designer day by day.

Advice & Future Outlook

What advice would you give to other students or graduates who may not have considered lighting as a career?
I would certainly give it a good look! Even if you aren’t given a springboard opportunity to pounce on from university, you would be surprised about how much there is to lighting, and what opportunities there may be when you go and investigate.

Where do you see your career going in the future - are there specific areas of lighting that interest you now?
I can see Holophane as a brilliant company which I hope to work in for many years to come as I continue to develop as a professional designer/engineer. Regarding specific interests, I would not be surprised if my curiosity from my university design challenge eventually leads me towards wanting to design a real lighting fixture which mitigates the effects of artificial light on wildlife in the future, but that’s definitely only a drawing board thought for now.

Would you recommend the lighting industry to others, and if so, why?
I would certainly recommend it. Whether lighting takes your interest right away or not, and aside from my field of design and engineering, there are many other vocations in the industry of lighting that may be open pathways for you like physics, programming, marketing, testing, media, or production & business – all are equally required careers which the lighting industry can offer, and very likely a couple of searches away.