Read more: Taking the long way around to lighting…
by Brooke Williams, Senior Designer, HLB
Hi! I’m Brooke Williams, a senior lighting designer at HLB in San Francisco. I took the long way around to lighting — starting in architectural engineering at CU Boulder, switching to Environmental Design, and ultimately finding lighting through the certificate program. It turned out to be the perfect overlap of my engineering brain and my design heart, and I’ve been in it ever since.
View Brooke’s Story at CU Bolder
I’ve been fortunate to work at a range of firms and to learn from mentors at every step. I’ve had opportunities to work on projects from trash enclosures to high-end residential — and I’ve found joy in all of it.
Everything needs light. It always matters. And at the end of the day, it’s always for people.
I joined my first Women in Lighting + Design (WILD) call in my second week in the industry. I’d never been part of a professional organization before, but I kept showing up, slowly came out of my shell, and started building real connections. Nearly eight years later, the women I’ve met through WILD are some of the best people I know across all ages, experiences, and roles in the industry. It’s a community that grows quietly over time, until one day you realize it feels almost like family.
I’m also a recent co‑coordinator for the International Association of Lighting Designers San Francisco (IALD SF), and I absolutely love being part of that broader global community.
For anyone newer to the industry: keep showing up, say hi, and ask all the questions.