PANEL DISCUSSION
David Seok, The Lighting Practice | Phat Quach, Domingo Gonzalez Associates Inc. | Ben Rapkin, chatLED
Location: Sutton North
Thursday, April 15, 2027
9:00 am – 10:30 am ET
Credits TBA
Introductory
One of the most important parts of the job is to provide specifications to a contractor to purchase the right equipment for a project, but what makes a good specification, how should we be putting one together, and how has it changed in the age of AI?
Two lighting design studio directors sit with the co-founder of an AI software company built for the lighting industry, for a discussion on how we can take lighting projects from conception to implementation.
Learning Objectives
- Understand what goes into a lighting design and fixture specifications.
- Understand how real-world experience affects decisions in lighting design.
- Understand cognitive offloading, when it is responsible to use AI in lighting workflows, and when it is not.
- Review how we can continue to teach future generations how to specify fixtures with or without AI.
Speakers
David Seok
Studio Leader
The Lighting Practice
David Seok is a Studio Leader at The Lighting Practice’s New York office, where he oversees projects ranging from corporate interiors, healthcare, hospitality, façades and more. A certified lighting designer and past president of the IALD’s NYC chapter, he co-founded the Asian Lighting Community and serves on TLP’s taskforce for culture, belonging, and inclusion.
Phat Quach
Director
Domingo Gonzalez Associates Inc.
Phat joined DGA in 2011 after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from Temple University’s School of Art. With 15 years at Domingo Gonzalez Associates, Phat’s contributions have become integral to the firm’s mission. His experience on a broad range of institutional, park and transportation projects supports DGA’s efforts on such commissions that are characterized by varied and stringent standards, procedures and critical project requirements. He brings a high standard of care and insight to all project types, small and large, from primary schools to large-scale bridge infrastructure. DGA benefits on many fronts from Phat’s membership on the IES Transportation Committee, his strong sense of detail, and he has become a sought-after mentor to emerging lighting professionals, focusing on technical training and internal process improvements.
Ben Rapkin
CIO
chatLED
Benjamin Rapkin is a musician, entrepreneur, and educator who started his first electronics manufacturing company at 19, while still in college. After successfully exiting an NYC software startup in 2017, he co-founded the lighting manufacturers Lightglass (2018) and Lightly (2021), serving as Head of Growth for both - leading sales and marketing while establishing, training, and managing an international network of 75 agencies and channel partners. That work convinced him the industry's most important problem wasn't product, it was communication. In 2024, Benjamin left lighting manufacturing and returned to his roots in software to co-found chatLED, an AI software company rebuilding how information moves between manufacturers and specifiers. Benjamin believes light has outsized power to improve people's lives, and he is passionate about building an industry ecosystem that rewards and protects the work of lighting designers and manufacturers.