Systems for Eyewear: Case Study by Dhvani Patel

01 — The Premise

The invisible system behind every pair of glasses

Nobody buys a system, they buy a pair of glasses. Behind that purchase is a network of prescriptions, machines, technicians, and opticians working together to deliver a single outcome: clear vision.

This project explored the people and processes behind that journey. Rather than redesigning the product itself, we mapped the system that makes every pair of spectacles possible.

5stops

Field locations mapped across Mumbai’s eyewear supply chain.

4groups

Distinct stakeholder groups tracked across the ecosystem.

1tree

Root-cause map built around a single recurring strain: worker health.

02 — Research Journey

Following the product backward, not forward

Rather than starting where glasses are made, we began where they are bought. Each visit uncovered another layer of the system—from retail counters to assembly units and lens laboratories.

ON SITE

We observed the precision of lens fitting, where even the smallest error could affect the final product.

RETAIL SHOP

We watched customers, opticians, and prescriptions come together in a series of rapid decisions.

LENS LAB

We followed the manufacturing process to understand how raw lenses are shaped, finished, and prepared for assembly.

03 — Research Journey

A supply chain traced on foot, across the city

Map tracing the eyewear supply chain route across Mumbai, from manufacturing to retail

The Route

We traced the journey from manufacturing to retail, mapping every stage behind a single pair of glasses.

Why It Mattered

Each stop added time, coordination, and complexity, revealing how far a simple purchase really travels.

04 — Understanding the Ecosystem

Four groups, one connected system

Every stakeholder plays a different role, but the final product depends on how they work together.

Stakeholder map showing manufacturers, retailer, customers, assembly units, optometrists, wholesalers, lens labs, and logistics

05 — Mapping the System

Where the pressure actually travels

A causal loop diagram revealed how demand, production, and worker strain influence one another—showing where pressure builds across the system.

Causal loop diagram mapping reinforcing and balancing loops between demand, production, and worker strain

Reinforcing Loops

Growing demand increases production pressure, placing greater strain on the same workforce.

Balancing Loops

As strain rises, errors and returns increase, naturally slowing the system.

06 — Mapping the System

Five nodes, and the messages that pass between them

The system depends on information flowing between five key stakeholders. Every delay or misunderstanding affects the experience further downstream.

Node diagram showing information exchanged between vision need, customer, retailer, manufacturing, social influence, and market affordability

The Bottleneck

Most communication passes through a single relay point — the retailer.

The Opening

Simplifying information flow reduces errors and improves coordination.

07 — Key Insights

What the people inside the system actually said

System maps reveal how the process works. Conversations reveal what it feels like to live inside it, through the people who build, sell, and rely on it every day.

Collage of field photos, worker quotes, and news clippings about the eyewear industry and eye-care gaps

08 — Root Cause Analysis

One root, many consequences

Every issue we observed — fatigue, pain, errors, and attrition, led back to the same underlying cause: a system designed around output rather than worker well-being.

Root cause tree diagram tracing worker-health symptoms back to systemic causes like production targets and ergonomic design

Why This Matters Beyond the Workshop

Worker health, product quality, and customer trust are deeply connected. Improving one requires addressing the system behind them all.

08 — Design Opportunities

Where the research pointed, not where we wanted it to

Rather than designing another product, the research uncovered opportunities to improve the system itself, from the assembly workspace to everyday eyewear care.

OPPORTUNITY 01

Redesign the workspace, not just the tool

A better workspace can improve precision, comfort, and consistency.

OPPORTUNITY 02

Close the gap between damage and repair

Simple repair tools and guidance can help users address everyday eyewear issues sooner.

08 — Concept Exploration

A workbench built around the body, not the task list

Rather than adding new tools, this concept redesigns the workspace itself, giving every tool a place and every movement a purpose.

Close-up of a redesigned workbench pegboard with lens-fitting tools laid out

Annotated illustration of an ergonomic workbench with labeled posture supports, tool arms, and inspection surface

09 — Concept Exploration

Maintenance that travels with the glasses

Small issues don’t need to become major repairs. A portable maintenance kit enables quick fixes, helping users care for their eyewear wherever they are.

Closed portable eyewear maintenance kit, capsule shaped

Open portable eyewear maintenance kit showing internal compartments

10 — Reflection

What systems thinking actually changed

Looking beyond the user

Research became less about individual interactions and more about understanding how people, processes, and decisions connect.

Designing for systems means asking not only who benefits, but who bears the cost of every decision.