Recent progress in electric lamp development has been accelerated by the introduction of new materials and techniques which have brought major improvements in performance. The impact of halogen technology on incandescent lamps continues to broaden as a result of increasing knowledge of design and processing requirements, whilst the introduction of mixed metal iodides, fused alumina envelopes and more sophisticated designs of low-pressure sodium lamps have added to the complexity of discharge lamps. Against this background some problems of design evaluation and application assessment and the conflict between innovation and standardisation are discussed. The viewpoint is expressed that lamp development could benefit at an early stage from a fuller appreciation of the requirements of users, particularly where the direction of a development may be influenced toward specific applications.