Designing a pair of glasses

Context

Corti was a branding project realised in 8 weeks. I wanted to expose the consequences of too little sleep and increased cortisol levels in people. It was important to me that it did not become a marketing campaign because the message would not be sustainable for a longer period of time.

By establishing a brand, the message remains timeless because a brand lasts much longer than marketing campaigns or promotions. By selling a product that counteracts the harmful effects of too little sleep (albeit minimal), you can spread and sustain a message much better than a campaign that only warns for the dangers. That works about the same as the texts on cigarette packs. Forbidding and countering certain behavior in order to achieve the desired result is usually not the solution. It is therefore better to offer people an alternative and let them think about the consequences themselves instead of disapproving the user's desired behavior. I kept the target audience very broad in order to appeal to as many people as possible. Therefore I divided the target group into 4 groups that would receive the message in a different way.

Research & Insights

Corti Shades tells the story of blocking sunlight and harmful blue light. The distinctive red color stands out and goes well with the summer colors. Office tries to reach the people who work a lot with computers. This is actually the biggest problem because these people produce a lot of cortisol by the light from their computer. Party emits the message for people who visit festivals and parties. These people often lose valuable sleep time and in this way are informed about the risks. Gaming looks at people who play video games and tries to show the risks of increased screen exposure. By selling not one but multiple different types of glasses, people can choose in what kind of category they see themselves. Still, the targeted audience is very broad so many people feel addressed.

Used methods

Debriefing User interviews Literature review Expert interviews User testing

Design Solution

The package included a pair of Corti glasses, a special protective case and a little message on a A5 flyer showing the story Corti wants to tell. The story gets told in an informal manner so the customer is approached in a more personal way. By adding visuals the story is clearer and better understood by the audience. The packaging and other products display the brand identity very strongly connecting everything together.

Deliverables

Styleguide Product Narrative concept Research report Proof-of-concept

Reflection

By attaching a message to the product the story gets told and spreads. Corti does not only provide the customer with a tool to help prevent extensive damage done by blue light but also creates awareness by telling a story. It tells the user what the effects and the impact of too much screen time are without forcing desired behavior. This is something the users can decide for themselves. Corti is not so much a product, but more a brand that wants to tell a story to the world.