
The evolution of this Annual Product Issue mirrors the evolution taking place within the lighting industry. Over the past decade, product categories have morphed as LEDs have taken hold. Of the 160-plus products across 14 categories on the following pages, all are LED.
The transformation of lighting has been exciting, and it certainly has its own set of complexities and frustrations—as is the case with all new technologies. But the outcome is some of the most sophisticated products the lighting community has ever seen. While some might argue that the rise of solid-state lighting has resulted in fewer options, limiting design freedom, what lighting designers can achieve with the current generation of LED luminaires is remarkable.
Nevertheless, challenges remain, and designers and manufacturers alike must remain diligent in reviewing testing data, spec sheets, and product samples. Solid-state lighting demands rigorous review based on new metrics and design criteria. In a continued effort to help decipher what this all means, we queried lighting designers and manufacturers about how they stay up to date and navigate the ongoing seismic shift. •
Click here to browse all of the products from the 2017 Annual Product Issue.