Optical Volume
Eyewear. Publication (2022)
Optical Volume is a collection of 10 speculative eyewear designs, published as a book in 2022.
This project emerged as a collaborative exercise between Max Saward and I in 2020. Our goal was to examine consumer behaviors and products, envisioning how technology—both futuristic and analogue—could exemplify these behaviors in the context of eyewear.
Our conversations served as a catalyst for the design of these glasses to consider real-world applications, user interactions, and societal implications.
Spanning a diverse range, the themes of these glasses encompass sonic vibrations, manufacturing, human relationships, haptics, customization, modularity, renewability, nostalgia, XR, and generative AI.
Each design proposal is visualized with 3D renders, and the full collection of ideas holistically captures a spectrum of timelines from present-day viability to future-oriented implementation.
This eventually led us to consolidate our proposals into a book, curated with contributions from a global network of artists and practitioners sharing an interest in speculative design.
▊
Research / Helena Dong, Max Saward, Ari Nielsson
Book Design / Max Saward
Eyewear Design & 3D / Helena Dong
Text / Ari Nielsson
Eyewear. Publication (2022)
Optical Volume is a collection of 10 speculative eyewear designs, published as a book in 2022.
This project emerged as a collaborative exercise between Max Saward and I in 2020. Our goal was to examine consumer behaviors and products, envisioning how technology—both futuristic and analogue—could exemplify these behaviors in the context of eyewear.
Our conversations served as a catalyst for the design of these glasses to consider real-world applications, user interactions, and societal implications.
Spanning a diverse range, the themes of these glasses encompass sonic vibrations, manufacturing, human relationships, haptics, customization, modularity, renewability, nostalgia, XR, and generative AI.
Each design proposal is visualized with 3D renders, and the full collection of ideas holistically captures a spectrum of timelines from present-day viability to future-oriented implementation.
This eventually led us to consolidate our proposals into a book, curated with contributions from a global network of artists and practitioners sharing an interest in speculative design.
▊
Research / Helena Dong, Max Saward, Ari Nielsson
Book Design / Max Saward
Eyewear Design & 3D / Helena Dong
Text / Ari Nielsson
Given the nature of speculative design, the concepts presented in this volume may not seek to suggest tangible solutions so much as they incite conversations about a set of circumstances. Though many of the designs do address themselves to a greater ecosystem of issues ranging from environmental concerns to a desire for sensory escapism, their containment to the field of eyewear also insists that the discussions they instigate be held on their own playful terms.
Size: 150x216mm
Pages: 156
Binding: Softbound book
Pages: 156
Binding: Softbound book