Pioneering Digital Product Creation

Major retail partners like Target were rapidly adopting 3D sampling across all departments. Standard practice in apparel — but virtually unheard of in accessories, especially for mixed soft-and-hard goods like belts.

We faced dual pressure: rising sampling costs and timelines internally, and retailer mandates for digital workflows we didn't yet have. There was also a sustainability dimension no one was talking about openly: physical sampling in accessories is material-intensive, and each round of strike-offs, prototypes, and revisions generates waste and shipping emissions that compound across hundreds of SKUs. Going digital wasn't just efficiency — it was responsible design waiting to happen.

My mandate was clear but unprecedented: research and implement the right software, build proficiency, establish an international team, and exceed partner expectations in a category where no one had done this before.

The vision & solution

I assembled a trial group of designers to evaluate 3D software while working directly with Target's 3D Product Creation team. Through that collaboration we landed on CLO 3D as the platform that could handle the unique complexity of mixed-material accessories. I hired a full-time 3D designer from one of our China offices, and together we set entirely new standards for the category — not just for RAA, but for Target's accessories division.

Simultaneously, I partnered with VPs across product development, operations, and IT to secure buy-in for a company-wide digital transformation that fundamentally changed how we brought products to market. The result: a 66% reduction in physical samples — fewer materials ordered, fewer prototypes shipped internationally, and a measurably lighter development footprint.

The AI future

AI is transforming how we work, and I've been at the forefront of exploring its applications. As a founding member of RAA's AI Trailblazers group, I'm rolling generative AI tooling — Vizcom.AI, image generation, and research workflows — into trend research, concept ideation, and design across the company. The throughline is the same as it was with 3D: bring powerful new tools in deliberately, protect the designer's judgment, and let the technology amplify creative direction rather than replace it.

This work laid the groundwork for the sustainable-design practices I've continued to champion as Product Group Lead on RAA's ESG Committee — proof that the responsible choice and the commercial choice are usually the same choice, made early enough.