To help the public better visualize the importance of eye health, the American Optometric Association has launched an awareness campaign that reimagines the eye as a high-tech device.
“The Eye,” launched last month by AOA, uses visual design to imply that our eyeballs are more sophisticated—and more precious—than any late-model smartphone or tablet. The human eye, AOA notes in the campaign, has the capacity for 2.5 million gigabytes of RAM and visual precision of 576 megapixels.
Sometimes people are more willing to prioritize the technology in their pocket over their eyes.
Dr. Belinda Starkey, AOA Trustee
Though “The Eye” is a thought exercise and not an actual product, it was developed with a specific goal in mind: To attract younger people and technology first-adopters to visit an eye doctor. “We know that sometimes people are more willing to prioritize the technology in their pocket over their eyes—our primary target is what we call vision neglectors,” says Dr. Belinda Starkey, an AOA trustee. “That’s primarily millennial parents of children of around age 6 or so, and 18-to-25-year-olds who may be opting tinto having vision benefits for the very first time.”
To appeal to that audience, AOA worked with Sebastian Arietta, an industrial designer who has worked on automotive, robotics, and audio products, to develop conceptual imagery for the human eye as a smart device. AOA-affiliated doctors worked with Arietta to determine elements to highlight, and ensure that the design was grounded in accurate science.
“The Eye” is part of a broader AOA campaign called “Eye Deserve More” that promotes awareness of eye health to the public. Last year, as part of that campaign, it released a mobile video game, Blink Land, that offered health tips to users, and directed them to a page where they can search for an eye doctor. This time around, AOA decided to expand the campaign into a physical space: For three days last month, AOA hosted a pop-up event at a New York City storefront where the public could see large (and Instagrammable) exploded-view visualizations of “The Eye.”
The space was designed to be both attention-grabbing and informative, with signage detailing the medical science behind the Eye prototype, and a panel discussion featuring experts discussing innovation and eye medicine. AOA invited media and tech influencers to attend the pop-up event. “The space had four different pods focused on a unique aspect of eye health and allowed them to explore various tests and evaluations that optometrists use to assess vision and eye health,” said Dr. Starkey, who said more than 570 people visited the pop-up during its run.
The ultimate test of the concept’s success will be whether it translates into doctor’s visits, and overall that’s been successful, Dr. Starkey said. Since the launch of the Eye Deserve More campaign in 2021, visits to AOA’s doctor locator have increased 188 percent. That growth can lead to additional benefits, Dr. Starkey said, because eye tests can often help identify other medical issues.
“We’re often the entry point into the healthcare system,” she said. “I’ve had several patients myself that didn’t even know they were diabetic until they came in and had their eyes checked…That’s really the messaging we’re trying to drive home, that we are key pivotal healthcare professionals getting the folks the care that they need with their systemic health as well as their ocular health.”
