See Better to Learn Better
Spectacles
2022 (manufactured), 2010 (released)
2022 (manufactured), 2010 (released)
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| Place of origin |
See Better to Learn Better (Ver Bien para Aprender Mejor) is a collaboration between San Francisco based studio fuseproject and Mexico City’s Augen Opticos and the Mexican government co-ordinating service and product design around distribution of spectacles.
When the project was launched in 2010, 11% of children in Mexico had difficulty learning due to poor vision. This was due to the cost of eye exams and access to new glasses. Fuseproject designed frames for Augen Opticos that were created to be easily adaptable and to lessen the stigma of government-provided prescription glasses through variety in their design.
The glasses are designed in two upper and lower halves so that prescription lens can be easily inserted. The frames are also provided in a range of specific colours that relate to Mexican cultural identity means the two halves can be combined and customised to, with different shapes to suit different face shapes. They have been promoted by the Mexican government as a way of encouraging young people to wear glasses so that they can pay attention in school, with the varying styles protecting from the stigma that is associated with health service-provided glasses.
When the project was launched in 2010, 11% of children in Mexico had difficulty learning due to poor vision. This was due to the cost of eye exams and access to new glasses. Fuseproject designed frames for Augen Opticos that were created to be easily adaptable and to lessen the stigma of government-provided prescription glasses through variety in their design.
The glasses are designed in two upper and lower halves so that prescription lens can be easily inserted. The frames are also provided in a range of specific colours that relate to Mexican cultural identity means the two halves can be combined and customised to, with different shapes to suit different face shapes. They have been promoted by the Mexican government as a way of encouraging young people to wear glasses so that they can pay attention in school, with the varying styles protecting from the stigma that is associated with health service-provided glasses.
Object details
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| Object type | |
| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Grilamid (acrylic) |
| Brief description | Ver Bien Para Aprender Mejor (See Better to Learn Better) glasses, Augen Opticos, Mexico, 2022 - Deep blue upper frame, transparent lower frame |
| Physical description | Pair of child's spectacles. The frames are made from two separable parts, upper and lower, around a clear lens. In this case, the upper part is dark blue and the lower is clear. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Gallery label | Shifting perceptions
Ver Bien Para Aprender Mejor (See Better to Learn Better) is a programme providing free eyeglasses to children in Mexico.
Children choose and customise their glasses from options in an innovative flipbook. The colour options reflect the vibrant palettes of Mexico, and the huge range of designs reduces the social stigma that comes from a single style.
[Young V&A, Design gallery group label] (2023) |
| Credit line | Given by Fundación Ver Bien para Aprender Mejor |
| Historical context | Fuseproject, the design studio behind Ver Bien glasses, was founded by Yves Béhar in 1999, as an industrial design and branding firm. Alongside their commercial projects they are known for their designs for humanity, such as the One Laptop Per Child, and for their connection with Silicon Valley product design. Augen Opticos was founded in Ensenada, Mexico in 1986, by Dr Marco Antonio Machado, and remain a family owned business specialising in lens technology. |
| Summary | See Better to Learn Better (Ver Bien para Aprender Mejor) is a collaboration between San Francisco based studio fuseproject and Mexico City’s Augen Opticos and the Mexican government co-ordinating service and product design around distribution of spectacles. When the project was launched in 2010, 11% of children in Mexico had difficulty learning due to poor vision. This was due to the cost of eye exams and access to new glasses. Fuseproject designed frames for Augen Opticos that were created to be easily adaptable and to lessen the stigma of government-provided prescription glasses through variety in their design. The glasses are designed in two upper and lower halves so that prescription lens can be easily inserted. The frames are also provided in a range of specific colours that relate to Mexican cultural identity means the two halves can be combined and customised to, with different shapes to suit different face shapes. They have been promoted by the Mexican government as a way of encouraging young people to wear glasses so that they can pay attention in school, with the varying styles protecting from the stigma that is associated with health service-provided glasses. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.49-2023 |
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| Record created | April 20, 2023 |
| Record URL |
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