241 EYEWEAR
PASSION PROJECT

WHAT IS 241 EYEWEAR?

241 Eyewear is a new type of sunglasses with a slider on the side of the frame that allows for manual control of the tint of the lenses on the frame. In short, a manual version of transition lenses. The benefits include control and choice of the tint of the lenses versus a system that automatically adjusts the tint. The following research is intended to answer the following questions: What are the user needs? Who is the user base? What are the benefits of the product idea? What are the flaws of the product idea?

RESEARCH GOALS

The goals of the overall research were to:

1) Identify the user needs

2) Identify the user base

3) Identify the pros and cons of the product idea

In order to:

1) Ideate an MVP design for a prototype

2) Validate market segment and feasibility

3) Conduct future usability tests

SECONDARY RESEARCH

• The global polarized sunglasses market is expected to rise to an estimated 55.87 billion by 2026.

• The polarized plano sunglasses market was valued over 10 billion dollars in 2016. In 2015, worldwide sunglasses sales were $3.6 billion and about 96 million units were sold in the U.S.

• If only 2% of these buyers adopted adjustable tint sunglasses, worldwide sales would equal $72 million and 2 million units would be sold in the U.S. alone.

THE IDEA

241 Eyewear wants to give the power to control eyewear back to the visual strugglers of our population by

1) letting the user decide when they want their sunglasses lenses to be tinted (or not)

2) and letting the user decide the amount of that tint

241 Eyewear does this using a novel and easy-to-use design that is entirely made of mechanics. With a slider on the side of the frame that rotates the lenses, a user can choose how much they want the lenses to be tinted, which turns the sunglasses from light tinted to dark tinted and vice versa.

241 Eyewear is indeed a 2-for-1 deal that eliminates the hassle of carrying multiple pairs of sunglasses, not to mention the price of paying for separate pairs of eyewear. Because the design is entirely dependent on mechanics, users do not have to worry about, well, anything. Go directly from shopping to wearing to complete control at your fingertips.

THE HYPOTHESIS

1) Transition lenses automatically change the tint of the lenses and disallow the user to have access to control when they want the lenses to be tinted and the amount of the tint itself.

2) Sunglasses lenses come only as one shade and so, users have to buy multiple pairs to have multiple shades, thereby increasing the cost of purchasing multiple separate pairs of frames and lenses while also decreasing efficiency and general practicality.

FIRST ITERATION PROTOTYPE

The initial design of the prototype included one hidden, easy-to-use slider on the side of the frame that rotated both lenses together while providing a wide range of tints as justified in idea's main benefits. The prototype was used to conduct user interviews and understand how the product functions as a mechanical device.

EMPATHY MAP

The elements that need to be highlighted when ideating a final solution include choice, control, quality, stylishness, and health benefits. Since the product would be new to the market, the values of the product to customers would need to be signified in order to create a user base. The user base itself would be concerned with the benefits of the product that include its visual appeal along with this quality and functionality.

SECOND ITERATION MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT

After interpreting research insights, an MVP is being developed that caters to the advantages expressed by the users interviewed. The MVP is attractive, hence will be a fashionable addition to a person's look. The slider is easy to use, functional, and rotates both lenses at once and is accessible both right and left. The tint range cover is vast and provides multiple shade options. Users will respond well to the MVP's design and usability.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Based on a quantitative research survey of 500 people using the MVP, the target audience of 241 Eyewear Sunglasses was found to be 30+ year old men and women, although skewed toward men, with higher income living in states such as California, New York, and Texas who currently wear sunglasses designs including Aviator, Retro Square, and Wayfarer.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The next stage of the project is to conduct usability testing using a physical prototype of the MVP. This will provide more insight about future iterations, eventually leading to a successful market launch.