The Virtual Lighting Design (VLD) Community – a new online platform www.vld.community – offering various opportunities for exchanging information, encouraging innovation and drawing inspiration from within and beyond the lighting industry has finally been launched!
The VLD Community is the next generation in lighting social media that puts a global conglomerate of lighting designers, experts, academics and industry partners on the map. This ground breaking social networking platform is on a mission to foster real-world connections by providing a sense of place situated within a virtual space. Exchanging and sharing commonalities is a basic psychological need, which in today’s world is becoming harder than ever. This platform provides a social unit with commonalities for exchanging views (via interactive chats, posts, etc.) and sharing knowledge (via educational blogs, videos, etc.), thereby building a vibrant virtual community!
The VLD Community comprises three types of VLD-ers: Thought Leaders, Supporters and Members. Thought leaders are VLD-ers who present ideas and thoughts to the community so as to stimulate a discussion. It is leadership in, for and by the community, although it can also represent its common interest, purpose or practice. Thought leaders also determine the general feeling within the community and act as points of liaison between the community and the general public. Supporters are VLD-ers with common experiences or interests who provide the community with various types of help and financial support. Their primary goal is to promote development of the community through pooling resources. Supporters may also work to inform the general public or engage in advocacy. Members include all VLD-ers who learn, work and play within the community and are the heart of the community. Member participation in the community activities is key to its success.
The platform allows VLD-ers to create their profiles with tags to mark their personal and professional interests and search for connections with shared interests. VLD-ers can then access the platform to connect with other VLD-ers. VLD-ers include everyone from individuals such as architects, builders, consultants, designers, developers, educators, engineers, sales reps and students, to groups like government agencies, hospitality chains, manufacturers, museum authorities, NGOs, retail brands, and universities, who can benefit from this platform. The platform operates on a paid subscription basis providing access to insightful, relevant and valuable content developed by the best VLD- ers in the lighting industry. A minimum membership fee of only US$4.99 enables the platform to run professionally and financially compensate all contributing VLD-ers for their valuable contribution and time. Membership benefits include access to useful information in the form of industry-specific educational videos as seasons comprising series of episodes on set topics that culminate into open discussion forums.
Six VLD-ers – Martin Klaasen, Martin Lupton, Sharon Stammers, Amardeep M. Dugar, Katia Kolovea and Ingmar Klaasen – founded this platform around three main activities: Information, Innovation and Inspiration. Information about latest products and services is shared by Supporters to update the Members. Innovation towards newer products and services is the driving force between Thought leaders and Supporters. Inspiration is drawn by Members from the ideas and thoughts shared by Thought leaders.
