Your Interview Krutika Patel

Introduce yourself (name, company, position, country) and tell us how you got into lighting design (including education/qualifications).

I am Krutika Patel and I am working as an Architectural Lighting Application Specialist at IGuzzini, Montreal, Canada. I recently joined this firm after being on Maternity leave for a year.

Tell us about your work – is there a specific type of project you like to work on or an area you specialise in and why?

I moved from India to Canada in January 2016 after my marriage. I have applied for my masters in Urban Design and Housing in McGill University in Montreal beforehand. I have not applied to any other place as I did not want to be away from family. Luckily, I got the admission and completed my Masters in 2017. After my graduation I was applying to many Architectural firms in Montreal but due to my lack of knowledge in French I was finding it bit difficult.

To my surprise, I got a message on my LinkedIn from a Lighting firm named LightEmotion in Montreal. During that time they wanted to hire freshers who had no knowledge in Lighting but from an Architectural background and they called me for an interview. Once I reached their office, it opened a whole new horizon of the lighting industry for me. Before that I never thought of Lighting Designer as a profession. I worked there for a year as Jr. Lighting Designer and then again I got a recruiter message on my LinkedIn for a new opportunity and a good monetary benefit. Working for 4 years at Axis Lighting as an Architectural Lighting Application Specialist. This proved to be great experience in learning new softwares and a Lighting Design Course. Later, I got pregnant and after my delivery in 2021 I moved back to India with my 4 months old daughter and decided to work on my projects and start my own practice. During these 4 years, I also worked on my freelance projects in India. My spouse supported me because he also started his business in India.

What project are you most proud of and why?

Due to Corona hitting the world things didn't go as planned and I have to move back to Montreal. Meanwhile, I finished my project in India and I feel very proud of it. It is one of my best works. I did both Interior and Lighting design for the project. After moving back to Montreal I started looking for jobs and luckily I got my present job at IGuzzini.

How does light inspire you?

My experience in Lighting Industry is still taking shape and light inspires me as it has an immense capability to touch your emotions and one can travel through memory lanes. I am also looking forward to getting more knowledge in the circadian lighting system. After my experience in working in the field of lighting I learned that lighting is a very important part of space design and it is not just technical, but more creative and has power to transform the ambience.

What is your message for other Women In Lighting?

I would like to end my interview with advice for upcoming designers:
-Never feel shy asking for help from fellow designers, as per my experience people are so handy. Always keep an eye on your linkedIn messages, opportunities can come out of the blue.
-Be updated in your field as the lighting industry is in a storm and every second you have new products coming in the market.
- Read lots of literature as it will help you to present your ideas more clearly and creatively.
-Never give up on your passion and keep on going.
-I feel we need more creative people in manufacturing.