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Brienne Willcock is an accomplished leader in professional education, known for her commitment to excellence, innovation, and integrity in the development of industry standards. As Director of Education and Standards for the IES, she oversees the creation, implementation, and continuous improvement of educational programs and regulatory frameworks that elevate both individual and organizational performance. Brienne is an active speaker and contributes to a number of different industry publications.

With a strong background in curriculum development, accreditation, and stakeholder engagement, Brienne brings a strategic and collaborative approach to ensuring educational initiatives are aligned with emerging trends and best practices. Her work fosters lifelong learning, professional growth, and the consistent application of standards across the sector.

Driven by a passion for quality education and meaningful impact, Brienne is a trusted voice in the field, dedicated to building programs that not only inform but inspire. She is an active member and supporter of WILD.

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Brienne recently authored an article in LD&A’s June issue – entitled – Investing in Change – Seeking Clarity in Lighting Advocacy

Getting to know Brienne…

Q: How did you get started in the industry?
I majored in Art with a minor in Human Environments, then doubled down on my curiosity with a second bachelor’s in Interior Design — both at Eastern Michigan University. That’s where I took a lighting class. The course, taught by lighting designer Karl Geil, struck a balance between pragmatism and creativity that I didn’t know I needed. I’d learned to observe and document light and shadow and discern visual hierarchy in studying art. When Karl presented light as something measurable and technical, but beautiful and impactful…it resonated. In that class I learned that planning layers of light for others to observe and enjoy was more rewarding than other creative outlets. I didn’t pursue it as a career; it hadn’t solidified in that way yet. After graduating I went on to work as a graphic designer at an heirloom flower company, and ran into Karl in a cafe. He asked me if I still liked the idea of lighting, and soon thereafter recommended me for a role at the firm he was part of…and I showed up with a portfolio that centered light as a primary design element in a few projects and got hired on the spot. I had the opportunity to design lighting alongside Robert White, LC, and Stefan Graf, FIALD, across a wide range of project types: automotive, museums, retail, parks, houses of worship, residential, and restaurants. I didn’t set out to be in the lighting industry, but I’d say by three months in I was on solid ground in suspecting I belonged here.

Q: How long have you worked in the industry?
I joined Illuminart in 2011 and came to work for the IES in 2019.

Talk about your career path.
As a lighting designer, I was a sponge — I couldn’t get enough. I loved everything from concept design through administration, spec sheets and luminaire comparisons, relationship building and troubleshooting, and innovation. I also fell hard for the industry itself. I attended IALD and IES conferences, served as president of the IES Detroit Section, got involved in AIA and was later recognized as an Honorary Affiliate, and chaired the IES Annual Conference (2016 “Connected Light” highlighting controls innovation, and 2017 “My Light” focusing on personalization, preferences, and subtlety ). Over time, it dawned on me that I might belong at IES — not just to support individual projects, but to help shape the broader industry. I started in education under Tom Butters, and as the organization has evolved, I’ve grown into my current role as Director of Education and Standards. I’ll say I think in countless ways my career has been shaped by two things: leaps of faith — by others, and me — that I took to heart, and relentless curiosity.  

Q: What keeps you in the industry?
The people. The value of lighting in the built environment is a big reason I stay, but it’s the community that keeps me inspired. Lighting draws in all kinds of misfits from wildly different disciplines and those are “my people”, as they say.

LD+A is owned by Sage – Full link to article is here: Education

Somewhere between the brushstrokes of my early paintings and the glow of a gallery wall, I discovered the power of light—not just as a tool, but as a language. One that speaks through space, evokes emotion, and transforms perception. I never planned on becoming a lighting designer. But like light itself, my path was refracted—bending through different disciplines, shifting across countries, and revealing new dimensions of creativity I hadn’t yet imagined.

Today, I work as a Lighting Designer at LOOP Lighting in New York City, where I’ve had the privilege of contributing to projects like Pinterest’s Chicago office and Christian Louboutin’s flagship office in Manhattan. But to understand how I got here, you’d have to trace the arc back to my roots: it’s a story of creative transformation, cultural adaptation, and the pursuit of meaning through design, this is the story of how I went from painting canvases to designing spaces with candelas. 

The Product Becomes the Space

I first entered the world of design through the lens of product design. I was fascinated by the intimate relationships people form with objects—their ability to enhance daily life in both functional and emotional ways. But as I grew more experienced, I found myself increasingly drawn to the environments these objects lived in. I wanted to move beyond the scale of things people touch to the spaces they inhabit.

That shift led me into interior design, a field where I could apply my product design background in spatial and human-centric ways. Interior design taught me how to curate experiences—how materials, color, form, and function come together to create mood and meaning. But even within this broader scale, I noticed that one element consistently transformed the experience more than any other: lighting.

Lighting, I discovered, is the emotional thread that ties everything in a space together. It can energize or calm, accentuate or soften, reveal or hide. I’ve often said that lighting is to architecture what accessories are to fashion—it completes the look, adds character, and brings the whole ensemble to life. But it’s more than aesthetic. Lighting is emotional. It guides movement, sets tone, and shapes memory. I was hooked. That realization changed the course of my career.

A Leap of Light: Moving to New York

With little technical background in lighting but a growing curiosity, I applied to the MFA Lighting Design program at Parsons School of Design in New York. I didn’t know it at the time, but this leap of faith would reshape my entire worldview—and my career.

Starting grad school during the COVID-19 pandemic was surreal. The world was grieving, isolating, and uncertain. But adversity bred resilience. The class of 2022 at Parsons became a tight-knit, globally connected cohort of thinkers, artists, and designers, determined to adapt and grow. Our professors found innovative ways to teach lighting remotely—no easy feat when working with an ethereal, three-dimensional medium. We learned to communicate design ideas without physical presence. That experience taught me resourcefulness, adaptability, and the value of shared learning.

At Parsons, I immersed myself in the study of light—not just its technical properties, but its emotional, psychological, and cultural impact. I discovered the science behind what I had instinctively known as an artist: that light influences perception and behavior in powerful ways.

Art and Light: A New Medium Emerges

My background in mixed-media art resurfaced during graduate school in surprising ways. I began exploring how colored lighting could create immersive environments for viewing artwork. Inspired by artists like James Turrell and Carlos Cruz-Diez, I developed a thesis that challenged the conventional practice of displaying art on stark, white walls.

My research focused on the physiological effects of color and simultaneous contrast. By using colored ambient lighting in galleries, I found that we could manipulate the perceived vibrancy and spatial depth of artwork. I proposed a hue-dependent gallery lighting model—one that enhances the emotional context of paintings while preserving their intended focal lighting with precision framing projectors.

This project became the foundation for my ongoing interest in immersive environments, color theory, and the intersection of light and art. It was the perfect blend of my technical training and artistic soul—a synergy I hadn’t fully realized until then.

Finding My Voice in the Industry

In my final year at Parsons, I was elected president of LUX—the student-led lighting organization that connects students to the broader industry. It was a leadership role that required balancing community-building, event planning, and advocacy for young designers. But it was also a launching pad. Through LUX, I met professionals who would later become mentors, collaborators, and friends. It taught me how vital it is to stay plugged into the community—because the lighting world, while vast and global, is incredibly collaborative and generous.

Joining LOOP: Learning by Doing

After graduation, I joined LOOP Lighting as a Junior Designer. The partners at LOOP recognized the unique combination of skills I brought from product design, interiors, and immersive art. They gave me space to learn, shadow, and grow.

In the early days, I focused on technical documentation—reflected ceiling plans, fixture schedules, and the complete lighting design process from schematic design through construction administration. Each partner at LOOP brought a different strength, and I absorbed everything I could, honing my technical acumen while learning how to bring abstract ideas to life.

Over time, I earned greater autonomy and responsibility. Today, I manage my own projects, liaising directly with architects, engineers, and clients to shape their vision through light. It’s an incredible feeling to walk into a space I helped create and see how people move through it, feel within it, and experience it differently because of the lighting.

My next milestone at LOOP is to become our focusing expert—someone who understands the final, tactile moments of lighting installation, ensuring that the intention behind every fixture is realized in the built space.

Art as Compass, Light as Medium

Outside of LOOP, I continue to explore the artistic side of lighting through a community of designers and artists who create experiential work using light. I’m a member of The Flint Collective NYC, a group of creatives exploring the intersection of light, space, and storytelling. I’ve exhibited at Moonlighting NYC for two consecutive years, pushing the boundaries of what lighting design can be. These exhibitions give me a playground to experiment and a platform to provoke.

In 2024, I was honored to receive the Richard Kelly Grant from the IES—a recognition of my research in gallery lighting and the use of colored light. I plan to further my studies in DMX controls and lighting equipment, as I work toward becoming a specialist in museum and exhibition lighting.

Speaking at the IES 24 New York Conference about my research on immersive gallery lighting was a highlight—one of those moments where the dots connected between academia, art, and industry. I spoke on the technical and emotional potential of lighting in immersive art spaces. I’ve also been supported by an incredible network of organizations like WILD, IALD, IES, and DLFNY. These groups provide not just platforms, but lifelines for designers looking to innovate and connect.

Events like these affirm that my work is resonating—that there’s a space in the industry for hybrid thinkers who move between science and art, rigor and intuition.

A Global Identity, A Local Community

Living and working in New York has allowed me to stay connected to my cultural heritage while learning from others. Through the Asian Lighting Community and organizations like WILD, IES, and DLFNY, I’ve found spaces where I can share my background and traditions while celebrating the diversity of the design world.

Last year, I hosted a Diwali celebration with fellow lighting designers in New York—a chance to share not just food and festivity, but the meaning behind the lights we hang. These moments remind me how design is deeply cultural and how light is a universal language we all interpret differently.

Looking Ahead: A Career of Light and Possibility

I often describe design as an iterative process. You sketch, test, refine. Sometimes you circle back to an idea years later and find it more relevant than ever. My career has mirrored that. My early fascination with art continues to inform my lighting designs. My time as an interior designer makes me a better collaborator. My love for community fuels my passion for mentorship and leadership.

As I look ahead, I envision a career that integrates all these dimensions. I want to continue my work in gallery and museum lighting, becoming a recognized specialist in colored lighting applications for immersive viewing experiences. I want to keep creating art, participating in installations, and pushing the boundaries of how we use light to tell stories. And I want to give back to the community that has shaped me—through mentorship, collaboration, and celebration.

Lighting, to me, is more than a profession. It’s the medium through which I’ve found my voice. It has taught me how to listen, how to see, and how to feel more deeply. Whether through a beam of light on a wall or the glow of a gallery, I hope to keep lighting the way—for myself, and maybe, for others too.