Eye-R
Details
Skills
Why Should We Care?
Gen Z doesn’t think about eye health until it’s too late. While most understand the basics, few can recognize long-term damage before symptoms appear. This gap makes prevention nearly impossible.
43%
60%
Understanding the Users
To better understand Gen Z's relationship with eye health, mixed-method research was conducted such as surveys, interviews, secondary research, & analyzed the competition . The goal was to uncover not just what they knew, but what they didn't know they were missing.
80+
20+
1 in 3
38%
Key Findings
Meet Theo
Theo Green
Theo is a full-time college student whose entire life happens on a screen. After months of eye strain, headaches, and blurred vision, he finally went to an eye doctor only to learn the damage could have been prevented. Now, he’s trying to manage something he didn’t even know he needed to worry about. He can’t undo what’s already happened, and wishes someone had told him before it got this far.
- Feel like it's not too late to take control
- Manage screen time without falling behind
- Know what actions actually help
- Nobody told him this was preventable
- Health information feels clinical and scary
- Can't afford to cut back on screen time due to school
From Research to Direction
Research informed us that the gap was not that of lack of information but rather the way that information was presented. Traditional formats like websites fail to create an urgency or a lasting behavioral change.
Ideation began with an informational app, but quickly recognized that if websites weren't creating urgency, an app wouldn't either. Then a video game format was explored as it's engaging, but unrealistic as a public health tool. A second round of user interviews pointed toward something more immersive. The consistent response was clear: people wanted an experience so immediate they had no choice but to pay attention.
Introducing Eye-R
Eye-R is a free augmented reality experience aiming to educate Gen Z on what will happen if they fail to take care of their eyes. Eye-R meets Gen Z where they are and turns any environment into a whole new experience. Users will see what it's like to 'live' with different preventable eye conditions, while walking them through the symptoms and what they can do to prevent it.
Building The Concept
I went from making orthographic sketches to a 3D model in Rhino 7, then rapidly prototyped a physical headset. Rather than waiting for a fully developed digital experience, I tested the concept early using interchangeable transparencies to simulate different eye conditions.
This let me validate what mattered most: did users feel the impact and did it change how they thought about their eye health?
What Users See
These concept visuals represent what users would see inside the Eye-R headset for each simulated condition. Each experience tells the user what the condition is, what percentage of the population is affected, and what the typical symptoms feel like. Then it gives them a moment to look around and take it in before walking them through how it can be prevented.
What Users Said
While the timeline didn't allow for formal user testing, I put the low-fidelity prototype in front of real users to validate the concept. The feedback was clear, the experience felt intuitive and users could immediately see its potential beyond the classroom.
What I Learned
Every project teaches you something, and this is what Eye-R taught me.