Apr 23- Sep 24
Smart’s new CGI car configurator is powered by AI and is the key tool behind the marketing and sales initiatives. As the previous workflow was clunky and the interface outdated, I modernized the entire platform, integrating AI to streamline customization for campaigns and client presentations.
Apr 23- Sep 24
Smart’s new CGI car configurator is powered by AI and is the key tool behind the marketing and sales initiatives. As the previous workflow was clunky and the interface outdated, I modernized the entire platform, integrating AI to streamline customization for campaigns and client presentations.
Overview
This tool was originally built to help Smart’s marketing and sales teams quickly customize vehicles for campaigns and client presentations. But over time, it had turned into a slow, error-prone system with confusing layouts and too many steps. Users struggled to create the visuals they needed efficiently, leading to delays and inconsistent quality. Our task was to redesign the configurator from the ground up — not just to modernize its look and feel, but to completely rethink the workflow, integrating AI image generation. We wanted to make customization fast, intuitive, and visually reliable, so that marketing teams could focus on storytelling and brand delivery rather than fighting the tool.
Goal
The goal was to simplify and modernize Smart’s CGI configurator, transforming it from a slow, clunky tool into a reliable platform for the marketing team. We aimed to enable users to quickly configure cars and generate consistent, high-quality renderings without wasted steps, while introducing AI-powered image generation to speed up production and deliver visuals that matched Smart’s brand standards across campaigns.
My Role
As Lead Product Designer, I guided the UX/UI redesign and strategy, aligning closely with engineers, 3D artists, and AI prompt engineers. My focus was on simplifying decision-making, reducing errors, and ensuring the system was both fast and intuitive across devices.
My Process
I led workshops and discovery sessions with the marketing team to uncover pain points in the old configurator, which was slow, cluttered, and prone to errors. From there, I collaborated with AI engineers and 3D specialists to rebuild flows, refine interaction logic, and introduce a modular design system that supported flexibility and speed. Through iterative usability testing, we ensured the tool removed unnecessary steps and allowed the team to focus on creating visuals seamlessly.
Final Outcome
The redesigned configurator became a streamlined internal tool that guides users step by step, confirms selections visually, and dynamically renders vehicles in real time. It turned what was once a frustrating process into a smooth and reliable experience.
Impact
Post-launch testing showed dramatic improvements, such as 30% faster task completion, 12% fewer errors, +22% in user satisfaction, faster, higher-quality CGI outputs for campaigns, and positive adoption across Smart’s marketing teams and internal showrooms in Germany
Wireframes and early exploration
Low-fidelity sketches and wireframes helped us map flows, validate navigation, and define the core steps of the car configuration process before moving into visual design. We also created user personas based on the conducted research with internal users.
AI Flows
I collaborated with prompt engineers: together we explored flows for backplate generation, upscaling, and relighting, testing how AI outputs could integrate with reliable 3D bases. These investigations helped define where AI could accelerate asset production without compromising brand quality.
Design System and components
Reusable patterns, modular components, and UI specifications were created to ensure scalability, consistency, and efficiency across different parts of the tool.
High-fidelity mockups
The finalized UI screens for the Smart configurator highlight our chosen design direction: refined layouts, a clear visual hierarchy, and detailed interaction patterns throughout.
Testing
Key deliverables from user testing sessions and iteration cycles included test scenarios, and actionable insights that were used to refine the experience and enhance overall usability.
Copyright © 2025
Copyright © 2025
MattiaSorrentino
Copyright © 2025
Copyright © 2025
Copyright © 2025