Through the Looking Glass | Bailynn McNeely

After a night of packing and preparing for our free weekend in Prague, we wake up around 8 to make it to our last tour in Berlin. Today we were heading to IC! Berlin, an eye glass company that started in 1996. It was very interesting, especially since the company was created by 3 engineering students as one of their final projects for school. I also found the name creative, as it says, “I see Berlin” when stated aloud. We walked through each aspect of the glasses, from the marketing to the design process and finally the manufacturing. It was interesting to see how much of the construction process they still do by hand when making these glasses. The unique design of them includes a hinge less aspect, which they have won several awards for. The work environment was also unique to this company. The office was filled with lots of art work and open space floor plans. The founder, Ralph, is also the creator of a lot of the art around their studio. We were told about his quirky personality and how he stands out in a crowd. After seeing a photo of him I understood how this is true. He is a very tall, bald man with a unique style that strays from typical wardrobe choices. Ralph started by going to fairs with his glass hanging in a trench coat, showing them off and trying to sell them without an actual stand. He obviously did something right because the people loved

them and this company is growing now more than ever. Our guide did his best to show us the ins and the outs of this company, and he did a phenomenal job. Overall, this was a tour that everyone enjoyed, even though none of us had the funds to actually purchase any of the glasses. Now on to Prague!