I left school back in 1981, and after 3 years at Bell College in Hamilton, qualified with an HND in Mechanical & Design Engineering. I was to return to Bell College only a few months later, at the tender age of 20, where I spent 6 months as a temporary lecturer. In those days, colleges could bring back final-year students to temporarily fill teaching vacancies until the post was filled permanently. I got paid the full lecturer's salary, but couldn't apply for the job I was doing! Equally as bizarre was teaching a class of former classmates, who had chosen a course option with an extra year.

My first "proper" job, was at McGruer's Boatyard in Roseneath, as Assistant Quality Manager. I was involved in numerous types of commercial work in a wide variety of boats, from tugs and barges to Lifeboats and Yachts. While my main role was rewriting the quality manual and managing quality assurance for the MOD contracts, there were many opportunities to get creative. This was a job that fascinated me, working with skilled tradesmen and genuine artisans, many of whose crafts have since all but died out. During my time at McGruers, I produced design proposals for yachts, workboats, and trawlers. It was this work that kindled my interest in design. Traditional engineering environments were hotbeds of creativity, with daily challenges requiring innovative solutions. 

I began my career in the electrical industry in 1988 and discovered my passion for lighting early on, completing my first lighting design course in 1994. Since then, I’ve built a long-standing career as a lighting designer, delivering projects across an exceptionally wide range of environments.

Having worked for several Lighting Manufacturers, each with its own unique portfolio of products, I have a diverse but in-depth knowledge of lighting products.

From factories, warehouses, and offices to shops, hotels, and nightclubs, I’ve designed lighting for just about every type of space imaginable. With decades of hands-on experience, I bring a practical, solutions‑focused approach to every project, ensuring lighting that’s not only visually effective but technically sound and energy efficient.

In more recent years, I have also become involved in more domestic projects, and have been getting creative with LED Strip. It's still a black art to many in the industry, but I love working with people, and sharing knowledge, or brainstorming with other tradespeople, or clients produces some fantastic results. LED Strip has such vast potential for creativity, but the secret is knowing its limits and designing around them. 

If you have a lighting project of any kind, and are looking for a designer to collaborate with, I'd be only too happy to have a chat about it

 Iain Ross MSLL

With years of industry experience, we combine technical knowledge with creative design flair to deliver lighting that’s both functional and visually stunning. Every project is bespoke — designed around your goals, your environment, and your people.