Digital Transformation Consulting

Prada faced a significant challenge in enhancing its customer experience through product personalization, particularly for the launch of its iconic Copa América sneakers. The luxury brand sought to create an innovative online customization experience that would set it apart in the high-end market. This involved developing a 3D web configurator that allowed customers to select from a variety of materials and colors, as well as add their initials to the sneakers. To achieve this, Prada needed to create a digital twin of the footwear, ensuring that the virtual model accurately reflected the physical product in terms of quality and detail. The configurator also had to be accessible across various browsers and devices, with a focus on fast loading times to ensure a seamless user experience.

In collaboration with Accenture, Prada successfully developed a digital twin that captured every detail of the physical shoe, including size, shape, materials, and colors. The advanced configurator guides customers through the personalization process, allowing them to interact with a 360° model of their customized footwear. Given the impossibility of pre-rendering images for over 50 million potential shoe configurations, an innovative real-time rendering server was created. This server generates high-resolution images of the customized designs and distributes them to various Prada systems within seconds. Once the shoes are finalized and purchased, the production team uses these images to fulfill the orders. Additionally, an enhanced version of the configurator was developed for in-store use, leveraging the 3D twins to create personalized products that meet customer desires while reducing time to market.

The web configurator was launched in just four months, followed by the in-store version three weeks later. The personalization experience exceeded expectations, with the 3D model of the footwear being highly realistic and the configurator loading faster than initially anticipated. The real-time rendering server produced 4K images of the customized models, supported by a scalable cloud architecture that allows Prada to apply this strategy to other products. Following the success of the Copa América sneakers, a similar configurator was developed for the Galleria handbag, showcasing Prada's commitment to delivering new luxury product personalization experiences and demonstrating innovative growth strategies as it moves into the next decade.