We recently partnered with Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, a leader in residential and commercial exterior lighting, to design and develop a powerful new app that uses OpenAI's API and allows users to take exterior photos of homes and instantly generate realistic nighttime renderings with professional outdoor lighting applied. The result is a compelling visual preview of how custom lighting can transform a home’s exterior without needing temporary lighting demonstrations or manual renderings.
Tools with Purpose
New tools are always being developed, and they tend to fall into two categories:
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Tools built for a specific task
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Tools that adapt to many tasks depending on how they’re used
A hammer is the first kind—a tool purpose-built to drive nails. It can be used for other things, but it’s designed to do one job, and do it well.
A ladder is the second kind. While it’s designed to help you reach high places, it’s also useful in unexpected ways—scaffolding, makeshift tables, or even creative projects when paired with other materials.
AI is more like the ladder. It’s a versatile tool whose value depends on how creatively it’s applied. Right now, most AI conversations focus on efficiency: automating tasks, reducing staffing needs, or cutting costs. But when we partnered with OLP (Outdoor Lighting Perspectives), we wanted to explore a different question: What if we used AI not to save effort, but to spark desire and drive sales?
Emotion Sells
One of the most effective sales tactics in history is creating an emotional connection with a product. For today’s generations, nostalgia is a major driver, just look at the popularity of retro toys or pop culture throwbacks. Where some displayed trinkets, others have Transformers that remind them of childhood and still bring a sense of wonder today. But what does that have to do with exterior lighting?
New Tools Unlock New Possibilities
Outdoor lighting is a relatively new product category. Most people haven’t developed an emotional connection to it. Sure, they might recall magical moments of holiday lights in the neighborhood, or a visit to Disney, but translating that into their own home can feel like a stretch.
Even when someone is interested, the process can quickly become overwhelming: complex terminology, too many product options, and no clear starting point. Without expert guidance, like the pros at OLP, it’s easy to give up or end up with disappointing results.
This is where generative AI can make a real difference. Before-and-after photos help, but they’re rarely compelling enough. It’s hard to get excited about someone else’s house. But what if it was your house?
Light Render Pro was designed to solve exactly that problem. In just minutes, OLP can generate a personalized visualization showing what your own home would look like with premium lighting.
You’re no longer looking at random examples. You’re seeing the potential of your own home. For many, it’s the first time they’ve imagined how lighting could elevate their space. That moment of emotional connection can be the spark that drives a decision.
Behind the Scenes: Stack + Workflow
When OpenAI released GPT-Image-1, it unlocked fast, realistic image generation through API access. We found it handled lighting tasks impressively well and could be integrated across platforms (iOS, Android, or web). We built a native iOS app to streamline the experience:
• The user takes a photo of their home
• They select lighting options
• We generate a dynamic prompt based on those inputs
• The GPT model returns visualized images in about a minute
The result? A side-by-side comparison showing their home as-is, and how it could look with expert lighting upgrades.
Prompt Engineering
At the heart of this experience is the prompt itself. Too vague, and the AI makes its own assumptions. Too detailed, and the model gets confused.
After many iterations, we refined a prompt structure that balances clarity with flexibility, including explicit “don’t do this” rules to avoid common pitfalls. Getting this right was essential because the quality of an AI prompt directly determines the quality of AI output.
In projects like this, prompt engineering isn’t just a detail, it’s the engine.
Selling with Imagination
In a category where emotional resonance is rare, Light Render Pro shows how the right blend of technology, creativity, and storytelling can change the game. We didn’t just build a tool. We built a bridge between curiosity and need, turning “I’ve never thought about lighting” into “I need this for my home.” AI is often seen as a way to do more with less. But when thoughtfully applied, it can help people see more, feel more, and want more. Sometimes, the most powerful sales tool isn’t a pitch. It’s a picture of what’s possible.
Want to see this for yourself? Schedule a session with an OLP home lighting designer, but fair warning, you're going to want exterior home lighting after you see it!