Survey & Materials

To determine the materials and design of our glasses cases, we conducted a survey to study our target audience as well as their needs and wants when it comes to using and purchasing glasses cases.

We came up with three main audiences:

• Early adopters: women and men in their early 20s and to mid 30s who are in the workforce and who are style-conscious and socially aware..
• The creatives: they are usually the first to know about what is new in the market
• Do-gooders: people who genuinely care about ethically-made products, they want to help/contribute in whatever way they can

The common thread between each of these audiences is their need for something fast, easy and ideally transparent.

In regards to packaging, we asked three specific questions:

• Do you leave your glasses case at home or take it with you when going out?

From our survey we found that 71% of people prefer to leave cases at home

• Too bulky to carry with them throughout the day
• People rarely find the need to use a case when wearing them the majority of the time

• How often do you replace your glasses with a new pair?

We found the average number being 2 years as prescriptions are commonly updated at this time too.

• What materials would you like to see your glasses case made from?

Recyclable materials (cardboard, paper, timber) and metal

Taking the results from our research into account, we have focused on designing a case sturdy enough to protect its interior, however using cost-effective and sustainable materials - our chosen materials being corrugated cardboard, elastic and card…the reason being, these materials are easily sourced within New Zealand, consequently cutting down shipping costs abroad as well as courier within the country.

Although corrugated cardboard is commonly used for packaging, we have utilised its properties in a new and interesting way - layering sheets up to create a see-through patterned effect.

The simplicity of the design allows it to be changeable. What we mean by changeability is the design does not need to be altered to allow for the use of different materials. Alternative materials we have considered that could be used instead of corrugated card are timber and plastic. We have taken consideration that the change to these materials will increase the price of manufacturing these cases. Corrugated card is relatively cheap and the properties it has makes it suitable for our design without going over the Mr Foureyes’ budget.  We have also thought about possible materials that can line the inside of the case and the top of the case. Leather could be used to give it a more luxurious look where as using felt could be good for kids cases to have that soft, fuzzy and playful element inside.