XR Light Designer: A Standalone Application for Lighting Design and Pre-Visualization on the Apple Vision Pro
A Master Thesis by Mads Kristian Steen Vejrup, Oliver Due Nielsen, and Magnus Frisk, Aarhus University
@csaudk, 2025, supported by P1 (Danish AI Pioneer Center).
This thesis explores how XR, especially Apple Vision Pro, can shift lighting design from a technical, screen-based task into something more spatial, intuitive, and collaborative.
🎯 Use cases explored:
🎬 Pre-Visualization Tool (00:35) – Prototype and test lighting designs in immersive versions of real venues
🎤 Externalization Tool (01:16) – Let directors, performers, etc., express lighting ideas without technical skills
🤝 Conversation Tool (03:13) – Help experts and non-experts collaborate on lighting setups (in person or remote)
🎭 Mixed Reality (04:26) - Mixing physical and virtual fixtures
User research & findings
The project included participatory design and user studies with both domain experts and non-experts:
✔️ A non-technical artist appreciated the ability to spatially prototype lighting instead of relying on 2D tools
✔️ A lighting technician saw less value in design features but emphasized the collaborative potential
✔️ Lay users could use the system without prior training—highlighting how accessible and intuitive it is, even for newcomers
This project points toward a future where immersive lighting design is not only professional-grade and spatially grounded, but also collaborative and inclusive. ✨
If you're curious and want to check out the full report, feel free to reach out to any of us!
Kudos to Mads, Oliver and Magnus, extremely talented and creative students who have came up with the concept and implementations by themselves.
Supervisors: 🧢
@tobiaslanglotz & me.