The combination of digital technology and personal consulting is groundbreaking

For more than six months, Sabine Hauke and her team at Optik Kramer by Vision System Store in Konstanz have been offering the personalized YOU MAWO frames via Virtual Try-on. Gerald Wirtz and the team at Optiker Barnikel in Berlin have been using the innovative service since October 2024.

----------------------------------

Mrs. Hauke, Mr. Wirtz, what does the brand YOU MAWO mean to you?

Sabine Hauke: YOU MAWO stands for lightness, innovation, and above all, individuality. The brand allows frames to be adjusted so precisely that even the most complicated anatomical requirements can be met. All of this comes with perfect wearing comfort. Together, this makes YOU MAWO glasses particularly attractive for us and our customers.

Gerald Wirtz: With YOU MAWO frames, you get lightweight, durable, sustainably produced, and individually adjusted plastic glasses. I find it particularly practical that they can simply be reprinted in case of damage – so there are no issues with spare parts. That’s a truly innovative solution.

Why do you think YOU MAWO fits well with ZEISS?

Gerald Wirtz: ZEISS and YOU MAWO complement each other perfectly. With the novel combination of YOU MAWO and ZEISS Virtual Try-on, we can elevate the glasses fitting to a new level.

Sabine Hauke: Both brands share a vision: tailor-made perfection. ZEISS offers high-precision lenses that integrate ideally into the innovative, individually adjustable frames from YOU MAWO. It’s a perfect symbiosis of cutting-edge technology and design.

How long have you been offering YOU MAWO with ZEISS Virtual Try-on?

Sabine Hauke: We have been collaborating with YOU MAWO for several years. We have actively been using ZEISS Virtual Try-on for about six months, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Gerald Wirtz: We have also been offering YOU MAWO frames for a while. We are relatively new to Virtual Try-on – since October 2024. Customers find the opportunity to individually adjust their glasses using the ZEISS VISUFIT 1000 really exciting.

What is special to you about the customization of YOU MAWO frames with ZEISS Virtual Try-on?

Sabine Hauke: The special thing is that we can adjust the frames perfectly not only aesthetically but also functionally. With the 3D avatar created via the VISUFIT 1000 using ZEISS Virtual Try-on, we can see exactly how the glasses fit, and we can make adjustments right away. Everything happens in one step, including centering – efficiently and precisely. The glasses produced via 3D printing fit perfectly afterward.

Regardless of the fit, we have also achieved great results in size optimization for highly myopic or hyperopic customers. For example, one lady had -18 diopters and was thrilled.

Gerald Wirtz: I think of a customer with a really wide head. She had worn men's frames all her life because women's glasses simply didn't fit. With YOU MAWO and Virtual Try-on, we were able to customize a women's frame exactly to her measurements – wider, more fitting, perfect for her. She was so excited that she immediately had a pair of sunglasses made as well. Such experiences show how much potential this technology has.

How do your customers react when you first adjust glasses for them using the 3D avatar?

Sabine Hauke: They are impressed. They are enthusiastic about the technology of the VISUFIT 1000, their realistic 3D avatar, and how we then determine the values. And of course, they are excited that we then put together their individual glasses together.

Gerald Wirtz: So, when we tell our customers: Look, we have something completely new. We can scan you, and you get your glasses virtually 3D-printed on your head – that’s quite a hit.

What type of customers is particularly attracted to the offering?

Gerald Wirtz: People who value high-quality products and individuality. On one hand, customers with special requirements – very wide or narrow head shapes or unusual vision values. On the other hand, tech-savvy customers who are excited about the idea of being able to customize their glasses.

Sabine Hauke: Yes, exactly. It is primarily tech-savvy customers who value individuality. They often belong to the 40+ target group, but younger people are also increasingly interested in tailor-made glasses solutions.

If you were to customize a YOU MAWO frame for yourself, what would it look like?

Gerald Wirtz: I like classic and simple shapes that fit well on my nose. Personally, I’m not a big fan of plastic glasses, but the possibility of having something so perfectly fitting is appealing to me. I will probably take the time soon to customize a frame exactly to my wishes.

Sabine Hauke: I would adjust the glasses to my facial anatomy – especially in the area of the nose pad, as I have a high nose bridge. Color-wise, I like unusual tones like raspberry that match my style.

Do you believe that this is the future of eyewear sales?

Sabine Hauke: Absolutely. I think the combination of digital technology and personal consulting is groundbreaking. Certainly, not every customer will need a custom-made pair of glasses, but the demand for individual and perfectly fitting glasses will continue to rise.

Gerald Wirtz: I think it’s definitely a glimpse into the future. The technology is a great addition and a tool for the trained eye of the optician. Consulting and craftsmanship remain important in combination with innovative technology, especially in difficult cases.

----------------------------------

Sabine Hauke with a YOU MAWO frame. She is a master optician and functional optometrist and the regional manager at Optik Kramer in Konstanz.

Gerald Wirtz shows the surface of the ZEISS VISUCONSULT 500. He is an optician and master optician at Optik Barnikel in Berlin, where he has been working since the beginning of his training in 1987.

--------------------------------

translated with ZEISS GPT