read on’s latest innovation, read on light customized, launched in September 2025, has been named a German Design Award Winner 2026 in the category “Excellent Product Design – Lifestyle & Fashion.”
Designed by Zurich-based industrial designer Sandra Kaufmann and artist Monika Fink, read on eyewear, a startup of Sol Sol Ito, merges a striking design language with elaborated detail solutions, high-quality Swiss materials and a sophisticated colour palette, chic accessories and integrated iPhone cases. With a sustainable design approach, it adds value across the entire supply chain, from reduced material use and minimal storage volume to a user-friendly daily companion.
Sandra Kaufmann, Co-Founder, read on, commented: “The German Design Award is a powerful recognition of the sustainable innovation behind read on light customized. Bringing real, on-the-spot customisation into the ready-made reading glasses segment is a world first with huge potential. The German Design Award is an important milestone for our brand, and we look forward to expanding the read on light concept even further in 2026.”
The German Design Award, presented by the German Design Council, is regarded as one of the most respected international accolades in the design sector. Since 2012, it has highlighted pioneering achievements and established new benchmarks in design excellence worldwide. The Council is Germany’s leading authority on design since 1953. As a thought leader in the field, it is committed to realising the potential of design for a sustainable future, connecting business with design for circular design, transformation, and economic success.
At the heart of read on‘s innovation is the custom lens box, a compact system designed to make personalisation both fast and easy. The box features 28 interchangeable pre-cut lenses spanning seven diopter strengths (+1.0 to +2.5). By clicking different lenses into the ultra-slim read on light frame, opticians can adjust the strength of each eye individually, customising the glasses in less than two minutes.
“What excites me most about read on light customized is the flexibility it brings to the lower price segment. Being able to offer customers a customised solution at this level—quickly and with such a smart system—is genuinely impressive. It fills a gap in the market and elevates what we can offer on the spot,” said Daniel Meier, Optician and Founder of Meier + Gaggioni, Switzerland.
