“Envisioning” More Inclusive Eyewear

On November 3 and 12, nearly three dozen students from the School of Architecture and Design and the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) teamed up to reimagine eyewear and develop potential solutions for neurodivergent populations.

The event, aptly titled Vision Reframed: Designing Eyewear Beyond Boundaries, was held on the New York City campus and represented a collaborative initiative between New York Tech and the global eyewear company Marcolin.

After taking part in workshops dedicated to inclusive design, sustainable materials, artificial intelligence (AI), and mixed reality, students were broken into groups and challenged to create innovative eyewear designs to address the needs of neurodivergent populations, including individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Designs were also required to integrate aesthetics, ergonomics, sustainability, and technology. Throughout the process, students were guided and supported by Jordan Keys, D.O., associate dean of research collaboration and innovation, Alessandro Melis, Ph.D., IDC Foundation endowed chair, and Marcolin’s international team of designers.

On November 12, students pitched their designs to a panel of Marcolin representatives and New York Tech faculty. Four teams were then selected to develop two prototypes in the coming months, which will combine inspiration from their designs:

• Focused on Wellness: This prototype will aim to deliver an eyewear concept that is both smart and human-centered, emphasizing comfort and well-being. Intended to address sensory overload in crowded, noisy, or harshly lit environments, the concept will be designed to bring calm and focus through adaptive, human-centered technology.

• Interpreting Social Behavior: This prototype will envision eyewear as both a tool for understanding the mind and a medium for personal expression, combining a neurodiverse, cognitive-focused approach with an expressive, visually bold perspective. The design will aim to provide an interface between perception and emotion.

School of Architecture and Design students included:

• Sasha Burshteyn*
• Megan Jouelle Cortes
• Gigi Ferrante
• Priyam Deepak Joshi
• Catherine Kpaka
• Nazeli Kurtoglu
• Nini Lobzhanidze*
• Daisy Madaan
• Daniel Maron
• Jace McKay
• Emmanuel Marquet Melis*
• Rajeshri Nadar*
• Elia Palazzo*
• Roshan Pereira*
• Purva Tatiya*
• Kaleigh Trentadue*

NYITCOM students included:

• Sarah Abdul
• Prasanthi Bonagiri*
• Mahika Gupta
• Farah Hasan
• Janntaul Kawnine
• Ann Murickan*
• Evan Palmer*
• Nisansa Perera*
• Thomas Ryan*
• Elianna Sanchez
• Lauren Santucci
• Jake Schwartz
• Edwin Sun
• Michelle Vilensky*
• Jun Wang*
• Stone Zhang*

*Students on winning teams