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The following SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity. More about the SMART 100.
Customisable Eyewear
This innovation initially came to life when…
…Daniel He, an optometrist, first worked in an optical store in the late 1990s selling eyewear. Too often a customer was dissatisfied with one or more aspect of shape, colour, material or size of the glasses they purchased. Most compromised and settled for something that was mass-produced. Now, a decade on, this problem was a recurring theme. So he out to change this, in an industry dominated by multinational companies.
WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
…give customers an online platform where they can co-create unique, well-fitting eyewear from their own computer for the same cost as buying from a local optical outlet.
It does this by…
… giving customers choice in eyewear. We work closely with our manufacturing partner and push the limits of customisation. Every aspect from shape, to size, colour, materials, and even inscribed logos can be tweaked. The result? An almost infinite combination of what is possible, to produce an exclusive pair of glasses for our customer.
PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
The overwhelming majority of eyewear today is the result of mass-made replicas marketed under a known brand name. The same brands are even sold in different shop fronts at the same location. Personal preferences and tastes are replaced by what the ‘average’ person likes as companies move to capture the largest portion of the market.
Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…
… taking the best part of many pairs of glasses, and putting it into one. The ability to experiment with material/colour/size combos. Being able to ‘try on’ what is created online, and play a key role in making eyewear.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
Its predecessors/competitors include…
TARGET MARKET
It is made for…
… three distinct groups: the fashion-focussed who want to co-create their own unique eyewear; large or small faces that don’t fit the ‘average’ pair of glasses; and the online-shopper who is looking for an alternative to traditional optical outlets. In making our user interface easy and fun, we help make glasses that people truly love. Our goal is not to dominate the multibillion-dollar optical industry but to capture the much-needed customisation segment seen in other areas of fashion.
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
It is available for sale through…
… our website which will be online later this year. So watch this space!
Our marketing strategy is to…
… rely on word-of-mouth recommendations. Our product goes against convention and this will help us stand out. We expect to rely on social media to gain initial traction.
SUPPORTING IMAGES
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