Spectacle-wearing can convey aspects of a person’s character. For many, eyewear has become a statement of fashion, culture and identity and is worn with confidence; some people even wear frames without corrective lenses. The proliferation of optical boutique practices and high street stores offer choice and designer frames, some seldom think of glasses as a medical appliance anymore. Yet this was exactly how they were defined by the National Health Service (NHS) just a few decades ago and we must not forget that, for some individuals, a stigma remains. It is not only the frame styles, but also the design of the service through which they are offered that has changed our relationship with these objects.
Some disability design scholars regard eyewear as a model example for other assistive technology accessible aids and inclusive design. Graham Pullin, professor of disability design at the University of Dundee, is leading the conversation around how design and disability can inspire each other. In his book Design Meets Disability he proclaims that the revolution in eyewear came about through embracing the design culture of the fashion industry. He questions why design sensibilities should not also be applied to hearing aids, prosthetic limbs, and communication aids. He pursues this notion through his teaching, writing, projects and exhibits.
Cover artwork for Design Meets Disability by Graham Pullin (MIT Press 2009), featuring Love Letters eyewear by Cutler and Gross, designed by Monica Chong (Image courtesy Graham Pullin)
The clearest example of Pullin connecting current design with the eyewear industry is in the Hands of X project, which explored the role of material choices in prosthetic hands. The participatory research was hosted by Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and the prototype service in the Kings Cross branch of eyewear boutique Cubitts. It received attention in the design press, was showcased at the Cooper-Hewitt design museum exhibition Access+Ability in 2017-18 and was the case study for my own exploration of barriers to creative solutions in healthcare.
The exhibition, Hands of X: Design Meets Disability at V&A Dundee in summer 2019, recreated the prototype consultation service and unpacked the participatory process to explore how choice can bring a sense of ownership in prosthetics. A public talk took learnings from the eyewear sector and saw a conversation between Pullin and eyewear designers Lawrence Jenkin (Anglo-American Optical and bespoke spectacle maker) and Charlie Ingham (eyewear designer and founder of Soho Bespoke).
Lawrence Jenkin, who has seen decades of industry changes throughout his career, reflected that when he started eyewear was purely medical and regarded as an appliance. Jenkins suggested that experience of the NHS was extraordinary upon industry in the UK as it created huge demand and ‘all but destroyed retail optics in this country’ where patients had only the limited NHS range or high-cost private styles. When Anglo-American came into the Jenkin family ownership, they recognised that the frames were popular in New York. Jenkin commented that the eye shapes chosen for the NHS range were ‘fantastic’ as they suited many face shapes and people who had the choice loved them. He says: ‘I learned that these Health Service frames, that we kind of looked down on, were welcomed over there because the shapes were so beautiful and they fitted the face so well.’
Graham Pullin’s first spectacles were NHS, the 524-frame shape, and, like many others, he hated wearing them because they were stigmatising. Now he chooses a shape and style that is similar, although aware of the history he plays with the idea that they are NHS spectacles. He recognises that this preference is quite complex, but it only works because he has options. He is fascinated by the notion of choice, and how much choice is enough. In current consumer society the extensive range of products can cause decision paralysis and has been explained by Barry Schwartz in The Paradox of Choice. This is a consideration for retail design and customer service; curating the options available and supporting clients in selection is important.
1961 NHS trade ad for Merx of Hatton Garden
Frame designer Charlie Ingham looks to the past for inspiration and has designed frames for Cubitts, the store who hosted Pullin’s project exploring choice in prosthetics. She suggested that the NHS example was pivotal for Cubitts founder Tom Broughton. ‘We loved this notion of taking away the fuss. You don’t need to have so much choice, and when you have too much choice it becomes complicated.’
The historical example of the limited NHS range clearly demonstrates the impact that choice, or lack of it, has. As Ingham says: ‘Glasses are personal and subjective, and trying them on is really important.’ The selection is a collaborative process between the optician, the dispenser, and the client. Fashion and styles change, but what is important is that wearers feel a sense of ownership. The fit of the frame is essential for efficacy and comfort, but it is equally important that the style is fitting in the sense that it suits the wearer, looks appropriate, and conveys the image they want to present to the world. My research with prosthetists echoed this; while the physical fit between body and object is vital the
style and materials choice are equally so.
What can be learned from eyewear is the importance of choice. When the wearer participates in the process of selection, and that choice is supported, this creates a sense of ownership. When the assistive object feels fitting to the individual’s identity it is eagerly accepted and utilised more.
- Dr Jo Gooding is a design historian and researcher with a specific interest in disability, eyewear history and inclusive design. For more information visit designresearch associates.co.uk.