Design Philosophy | VIU EYEWEAR®

What do you get when the highest standards of design meet the utmost precision, innovative spirit and optimal functionality? You get VIU! That’s why our team designs and tests all our frames and accessories in the heart of Zurich. That’s how our designers remain true to our roots. That’s how they create unique products based on the twin principles of Swiss design: high functionality and tasteful understatement. And that’s why we can offer the perfect frame for every character.

“Let’s manufacture the best quality in a very clean way. And let’s distribute it in ways that invite people to simply have fun with it.”
Fabrice Aeberhard, CDO / Art & Creative Director

The VIU principle means the highest standards of quality, absolute transparency and direct distribution without middlemen. All our frames are crafted from high-quality materials at traditional manufactories in Italy and Japan. We equip those frames with excellent Swiss or German lenses in our own workshops. And we sell our eyewear in VIU stores and our online shop. This eliminates unnecessary costs, so we can offer customers the best eyewear at fair prices.

Many opticians offer different models from diverse manufacturers. The store has so many frames to choose among that customers can feel confused and fail to find the right eyeglasses. We want every character to find precisely what they’re looking for. That’s our formula for success. And that’s how VIU continues to work today”, Fabrice explains.

Store Design

Swiss design is also reflected in our VIU stores. Stylish understatement and the unbeatable symbiosis of design and function can be seen and felt in all our stores. It’s also especially important for us to use nothing but genuine materials. If something in our store looks like wood, it really is wood and it feels just like it should. High-quality materials make all the difference – in our stores and in our eyewear.

“The best compliment is when people say they feel as though our store has always been there, that it really belongs at its location.” Fabrice Aeberhard

Respect for the past, but passion for the future. The design of each individual store is oriented simultaneously towards yesterday and tomorrow. Each store fits its neighbourhood and the conditions at its location. We never use a simplistic copy-and-paste procedure with identical stores in every country and every region. Each VIU store is one of a kind, a unique synthesis of traditional and innovative elements.

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Product Design

Whether it’s a statement frame or a classically discreet form, all our frames come alive thanks to tasteful understatement and a perfect symbiosis of design and function. Our aim is to get the most from the least material. This enables us to create a unique selection in which everyone can find eyewear that’s perfect for them and their character. This was already true at VIU’s founding in 2013, when our portfolio comprised only fourteen different frames. Our current range includes about seventy different frames, so we can offer customers an extensive selection with diverse designs, yet still convey a clear and comprehensible vision.

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The Design Process

From trend analysis and initial sketches, through material selection and the first prototypes, to the final product in our store, all our frames and accessories pass through an intensive process of design and development.

“The most beautiful moments are when the unexpected happens.” Fabrice Aeberhard

Working with the principle of knowledge-based “trial & error”, VIU’s design team evolves existing models and creates innovative eyewear. In the course of this process, one design may lead to several prototypes that continually undergo fine adjustments. This often confronts our design team with unexpected results that demand new ways of thinking and lead to unique further developments. Only after a design has been thoroughly tested and has satisfied our high standards does it go into production and become available to customers in VIU stores or in our online shop.

The Design Team

From the first sketch to the finished product, all our frames and accessories are created at our design lab in the heart of Zurich. VIU’s Art & Creative Director Fabrice Aeberhard is responsible for all creations, designs and developments. He’s supported by a team of ten designers, graphic artists and creative minds. All eleven of us are passionate about creating new designs and further developing existing ideas. We annually create up to 250 different prototypes in our design lab, where they undergo constant testing and evolution. Nothing but the best developments and innovations find their way into our stores.

Our goal is to shape and develop the future of the eyewear market – with innovative ideas and a sharp eye for beauty and functionality. Our customers can look forward to many special moments.

Our design philosophy

Our Philosophy

Store Design

Product Design

The Design Process