Coach using AI to design its handbags, should designers be worried?

Coach bags

What if designing a handbag was as easy as typing a few words? That’s exactly what Coach is doing with the help of Adobe Firefly, a fancy AI tool. For instance, if you want to add some desi twist to Coach’s signature Tabby bag, you simply need to describe the kind of design you want and a virtual design that looks just like the real thing will pop up in your screen. Now while this sounds fun, will AI replace the designers? Let us have a look at what Coach plans to do.

Here’s how it works: Coach trained the AI using their signature details—like their famous hang tags, unique materials, and hardware designs. This means the AI knows what a “Coach bag” should look like. When the team tested it out, they typed in a simple prompt: “Tabby handbag made of fluffy shearling material.” The result? The AI created a virtual version of their Tabby bag that looked almost identical to one they already sell in stores.

These virtual bags, called digital twins, are now being used in all kinds of ways. Coach shows them to focus groups to see what customers think before making a real product. They also use these digital twins for social media campaigns and in-store displays. The company says it saves a lot of time and resources. Plus, the team can analyze data from these virtual designs to predict which styles might become the next big hit.

Will Coach replace its designers with AI?

Well, Coach has also answered the burning question about replacing designers in its blog post.

Coach says this tech doesn’t replace creativity. This new process will make it easier and faster for designers to bring ideas to life. Instead of sketching and waiting, they can try out concepts instantly and refine them in real-time.