TABLEKAST • CASE STUDY
Rethinking Vision Wellness
ROLE
PM
UX Researcher
TIMELINE
7 Months
TEAM
1 PM
2 Designers
2 Researchers
SKILLS
Product Roadmap
Concept Validation
OVERVIEW
What should Alcon build to promote healthier vision habits for Gen Z?
This project was a collaborative academic initiative between The University of Texas at Dallas and Alcon, designed to explore Generation Z's attitudes and behaviors toward eye health over a span of 16 weeks.
Challenge
Alcon tasked us with understanding Generation Z's attitudes toward eye care and developing solutions that resonate with their lifestyle and values.
Solution
Our team created TableKast, a conceptual device that reduces digital overload and promotes healthier eye habits by cutting down on screen-related eye strain.
OUR PROCESS
We applied a user-centered product strategy across discovery, definition, ideation, and delivery.
Research
Explored user needs through research, surveys, and interviews.
Define
Identified pain points and defined the problem statement.
Explore
Sketched concepts and designed mid-fidelity prototypes.
Deliver
Developed hi-fidelity prototypes and defined branding.
RESEARCH
We needed to get inside Generation Z's heads—what do they actually know and care about when it comes to eye health?
We reviewed existing research—academic journals, medical publications, and industry reports—to understand eye care trends among Generation Z.
Next, we wanted to hear from directly from Generation Z.
To understand Generation Z's perspective on eye health, we surveyed and interviewed participants about their knowledge, habits, barriers, and attitudes.
We cast a wide net to reach our target audience.
The survey was shared through social media, personal networks, and on-campus outreach, collecting 204 responses.
We conducted interviews to hear real experiences beyond the data.
We interviewed 11 Generation Z participants through a structured process of crafting questions, developing consent forms, and conducting interviews.
RESEARCH FINDINGS
Our research highlighted key obstacles faced by Generation Z and their vision.
Through surveys and interviews, we identified three critical factors driving the decline in eye health among young adults.
Problem 01.
Myopia Surge
Myopia has risen 59% among U.S. teenagers, indicating a troubling trend likely driven by modern lifestyle factors.
Problem 02.
App Fatigue
Generation Z feels overwhelmed by health and productivity apps, prefer non-digital, low-effort tools that don’t add screen.
Problem 03.
Lack of Natural Light
Generation Z spends less time in sunlight. Lack of sun exposure can lead to eye fatigue, dryness, blurred vision, and higher risk of long-term problems.
Problem 04.
Extended Screen Usage
Generation Z spends more time on screens than past generations, causing eye strain and increasing myopia risk.
Interviews revealed many of these obstacles, particularly concerning screen time.
Below are some quotes from our interviewees.
"I spend hours staring at a screen every day and sometimes get headaches. I want something that eases eye strain so I can work or study without getting headaches."
- Participate 1
"As someone who spends a lot of time on digital devices, I want a way to protect my eyes so that I can continue using my devices safely and comfortably."
- Participate 2
With these insights revealed, the question became: what should we build?
To answer this question, we began by identifying the key objectives our solution needed to meet.
DESIGN GOALS
Generation Z faces growing eye strain from prolonged screen use and needs an innovative solution that safeguards eye health and encourages healthier habits.
To address this challenge uncovered from our research, we identified three recurring pain points and turned each into a design question to solve.
Eye Strain
How can we help reduce eye strain and protect vision during long periods of screen usage?
App Overload
How can eyecare be encouraged without adding more apps or digital distractions?
Convenience
How can we make eye care easy, convenient, and seamlessly fit into daily routines?
EXPLORING SOLUTIONS
With the problem defined and our goals in mind, we began exploring a wide range of ideas and possibilities.
Here are some of the ideas we considered.
Tracking Tool
Keep track of vision changes and daily habits to stay proactive about eye health.
Projections Device
Project screens onto surfaces to reduce direct eye exposure and promote healthier viewing.
Screen Overlays
Customize displays to improve clarity, comfort, and support long-term eye wellness.
Smart Glasses
Monitor vision health throughout the day and provide actionable insights.
Adaptive Lighting
Automatically adjust lighting to maintain optimal conditions for healthy eyes.
Home Test
Quick and convenient vision checks from home to catch changes early.
In the end we decided to design a projection device as our final solution — but why was this solution chosen over the others?
To determine the right solution, we revisited our design goals —here is how a projection device could meet all three objectives.
Eye Strain
Reduce eye strain and protect vision by using magnification and projection to make viewing easier and limit harmful blue light exposure.
App Overload
Promote eye care through a physical device that reduces digital distractions.
Convenience
The device will be portable offering convenience, and should integrates seamlessly into daily routines for work, study, and leisure.
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
We developed a comprehensive Product Requirements Document to define the product's core features and functionality.
The PRD outlined features across display systems, interaction methods, and physical design. Below are the key specifications.
Display System
Lens
Enlarges and projects screens
Adjustable
Resizable to match any device
Height Range
3-12 inches, customizable
Angle Rotation
180 degree rotational dial
Interaction Design
Wireless Stylus
Touchless screen interaction
Nav Control
4-way direction buttons
Zoom Control
Continuous slider adjustment
Connectivity
180 degree rotational dial
Physical Design
Convenience
Foldable and collapsible
Attachment
Magnetic connect
Compatibility
Universal mobile device stand
Portability
Lightweight— under 2 lbs
DEVELOPMENT
Next, we translated finalized features into visual designs.
Grounded in the PRD, we collaboratively explored concepts to find the best direction, moving from sketches to 3D renderings to refine the design’s look and feel.
We used FigJam to collaborate on our ideas.
Through this collaborative exploration, the team refined our direction and aligned behind a unified final concept.
Primary Module and Base
We landed on a convex-lens device that magnifies or projects screens, with an adjustable stand, detachable kickstand, and smooth angle control.
Bluetooth Stylus with Detachable Clicker
The stylus allows hands-free control without touching the screen. The detachable clicker can be used on the pen or separately, with buttons for navigation, selection, and zoom.
FINAL SOLUTION
Through high-fidelity prototyping, we refined TableKast concepts into a finalized design.
The following walkthrough demonstrates how users interact with TableKast.
Module with Base
TableKast is an all-in-one device designed to reduce eye strain from prolonged screen exposure.
It functions as both a magnifier and projector, allowing users to enlarge or project their device's display onto a surface, limiting blue light impact and enabling more comfortable extended use.
Detachable Standalone
TableKast can be separated by detaching the front mount that holds the convex glass from the main base, transforming it into a kickstand that allows the device to stand independently for larger devices.
It has adjustable legs with secure latches, making it easy to change the height to suit different setups and preferences.
Interactive Pen
TableKast includes a Bluetooth-enabled pen that connects directly to the user's device for writing, scrolling, and zooming.
The pen features replaceable tips and a detachable clicker for control without holding the pen.
Detachable Clicker
The clicker attaches to the pen's top where the power button is located, enabling control without holding the pen.
When detached, it functions independently with up/down navigation buttons, a central selection button, and a side zoom slider.
BRAND IDENTITY
Next, we developed our brand identity, landing on TableKast as the name—reflecting the casting functionality.
In this step, we defined the color palette and designed the logo.
Color Palette & Logo
We created a logo and color palette centered on green, evoking nature and promoting healthier screen habits. We used these colors to help build our logo and consistency across the brand.
In this stage of the process, we also developed a brief marketing strategy for Alcon showing how the product could be launched and positioned in the market.
09.
High-Fidelity Prototypes & Product Walkthrough
As we worked on branding and identity, we also finalized the product design.
10.
Marketing Strategy
Once our product was finalized we created a small marketing plan.
Storefront Marketing
Our in-store marketing strategy for TableKast targets Generation Z by placing the product in tech and wellness sections of major retailers. Interactive displays and trained staff offer a hands-on, engaging experience that highlights key features.
Online Marketing
Our online strategy for TableKast features a dedicated website with easy purchasing, product info, reviews, FAQs, and color options, offering a simple and engaging user experience.
Website
To support our marketing efforts, I designed a conceptual small homepage to support a hypothetical online presence for our potential product.
We also evaluated methods to measure success for both TableKast and Alcon.
TableKast
To measure the success of TableKast, we would track sales revenue to see how well it’s performing, monitor customer engagement to understand how people are using it, and collect feedback through surveys and reviews to learn about satisfaction, ease of use, and its impact on eye health.
Alcon
For Alcon, success would be measured by increased brand recognition among Gen Z, clinical trials showing fewer eye issues for users, and strengthening the public perception of Alcon as a company committed to public health and positive societal impact.
11.
Project Reflection
Here are my key takeaways from this project.
Rsearch
Deep research into user needs is essential for creating impactful products.
Team
Effective teamwork is essential for taking a complex idea to a finished design.
Branding
Thoughtful design and branding increase the product’s appeal and usability.
Iteration
Iterative design and prototyping refine usability, functionality, and overall user experience.
Several key opportunities could have further enhanced the project —
01.
Testing
Conduct user testing to gather feedback and identify pain points.
02.
Development
Develop interactive prototypes to simulate real-world usage.
03.
User Instructions
Allocate more time to refine user instructions and tutorials.