Initial Design

Final Design

CAD Model

Tolerancing Tricks

The frame is composed of two layers, with the inner one being 3/128” smaller in sections where the translucent panels sit. This allows for a sturdier fit between components.

Iteration & Construction

Fashion Show

I pursued this initial design for quite some time, developing an entire CAD model and laser-cutting a wood prototype before scrapping the design entirely. Once I saw the prototype on my face, I noticed a few major flaws. I didn’t like how small the glasses actually were, and didn’t seem to quite fit the De Stijl aesthetic. I wanted to include this initial version on my portfolio because it exemplifies the importance of iteration in the design process, and that failure is just an opportunity for growth.

The nuances of designing sunglasses aren’t immediately apparent until you start designing them. Nose bridges are naturally diagonal, yet this aesthetic necessitates I use only vertical and horizontal lines. As such, I created a stair-step feature around my nose bridge by having the large black rectangle sit inwards from the first translucent panel. There is also some vertical space between where glasses rest on your ears vs. where they rest on your nose, which is why I have two long horizontal black bars in my design. The upper one wraps all the way around my ears, and the lower rests on my nose bridge. Ideally, the viewer shouldn’t even realize how much time I spent considering factors like these. An effective design looks effortless.

OnShape sketch used to laser cut one side of the frame. There is the shaft of a push fit on the left side, a cut in the middle, and holes for the screws of the glasses hinge.

Prototyping sunglasses means looking like an idiot and being okay with it.