AI can enhance product design efforts, speed up time to market

This analysis is by Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Industry Analyst Poonam Goyal and Associate Analyst Sydney Goodman. It appeared first on the Bloomberg Terminal.

Growing use of generative AI to help with product design can help shorten the window from conception to production, reducing long lead times that often produce inventory imbalances and missteps. Product capsules can then be created much faster. Revolve, Nike and Lululemon, among others are using generative AI to improve and speed up the product pipeline.

Revolve and Lululemon leverage gen AI for design too

In addition to using AI to design marketing ads, notably billboards, Revolve is also using AI to produce new product lines. Last year it worked with winners from the inaugural AI fashion week to create a limited-edition AI-created capsule collection to be sold on its platform. While the implementation of generative AI is still in early stages, its growing use can continue to help designers broaden the possibilities more quickly for the future.

Lululemon is also leveraging generative AI for product creation, allowing the technology to support designers to create and imagine more innovative designs in their workflows. The use of generative AI is reducing lead times and resources ,which together are driving efficiencies that can expand the bottom line.

Nike uses AI to design, think the unthinkable faster

The use of generative AI tools, virtual reality and 3D rendering software has enabled Nike designers to create unique designs that reflect the personality of the athletes, adding newness to the product pipeline. The use of AI isn’t yet a means to replace the designer, but rather helps fuel their creativity with results available in minutes and seconds vs. weeks and months. The use of AI models to extrapolate data from texts, images, video and code, to create personalized product that fit the needs and molds of unique feet, can help Nike add more differentiation to its product lineup.

While hyper-personalized shoes may not make their way into mainstream retail just yet, they can solve athletes’ needs and reflect their persona better, helping create a halo effect for a version of the style when sold.

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