A lighting control device includes: a sensor that detects a state of a user and a gesture made by the user; and a controller that controls a lighting characteristic of one or more lighting devices. In the lighting control device and in a method of controlling the lighting device, the sensor detects a first state and a second state of a hand of the user. In response to the sensor detecting the hand of the user in the first state aiming at one lighting device among the one or more lighting devices, the controller designates the one lighting device as a control target lighting device, and in response to the sensor detecting a predetermined gesture involving the hand in the second state, the controller controls a lighting characteristic of the control target lighting device.