Design competition: what benefits for eyewear?

Do young designers floor to imagine the models of glasses of tomorrow, the new innovative practice of eyewear? Some industrialists like Essilor or Xenith put themselves in it. We list all the benefits!

How do these partnerships work?

The practice is recent, but it is more and more followers. In 2016 and 2017, some big names in optics and eyewear decided to entrust young designers with the creation of their latest models. The concept ? The lunetier enters into a partnership with a school of design or applied art and offers his students to think about a frame concept, according to an imposed theme. The winning frame (s) then integrate the brand's collection.

Take the example of Xénith , who chose to compete, in May 2016, the members of ENSAAMA , a Parisian school of design. 50 students submitted to the jury, composed of professional optics , their concept of frame on the theme of daring. After a pre-selection of 6 models, which could be prototyped and tested during the Silmo 2016 , the jury selected three concepts for the quality of their design, their originality, their coherence with the theme and their commercial potential. Models that were then available directly in store.

Sometimes, eyewear also involves the public in the selection of winning models. This is the choice made by the jury of Essilor , who set up an online voting system during his E-Sun Kolor Up design contest . The idea: to decide the 13 selected creative concepts , imagined by the students of the Italian school of design IED .

A blow of expenses for the lunetiers

Applying to young designers has many benefits for eyewear :

• A financial economy : working with a school and students is, in theory, less expensive than using a team of professional designers .
• A facelift : by involving young designers , eyewear give themselves every chance to discover new creative and imaginative concepts.
• A range of choices therefore: depending on the number of students, the eyewear can choose between dozens of concepts.
• A partnership that can last: why not continue this collaboration with the school, if it was successful?

A boost of visibility for designers

As far as designers are concerned , the benefits are also numerous:

• A publicity stunt : the winning students benefit from the notoriety of the eyewear , especially if it is a very famous industrial like Essilor or Xenith .
• A very good training : thanks to these competitions, young designers can train to realize a concrete project, which is likely to be marketed to the general public.
• A dose of inspiration : the designers might not have thought of working for a lunetier . This is the opportunity to discover a new area and to get inspired!

And you, have you ever thought about organizing this type of competition? 😉