In the fast-paced world of digital commerce, speed, accuracy, and innovation are essential. Central to that vision is artificial intelligence, not just as a tool—but as a collaborator.
One of the most transformative areas the e-commerce industry has invested in is AI-driven product development, particularly generative design—an approach that allows algorithms to take the lead in creating, testing, and optimizing product concepts. The results? Prototypes developed in hours, not months. Designs influenced not by guesswork or focus groups, but by real-world data and predictive modeling.
From Human Bottlenecks to Autonomous Systems
Before integrating AI into our core systems, product ideation and feature development relied heavily on manual processes—spreadsheets, planning meetings, and subjective input. It wasn’t just time-consuming; it was vulnerable to bias, inconsistency, and inefficiency. We wanted to solve a simple but frustrating problem: how do we match people with products they actually want—before they even know they want them? And how can we scale that solution across thousands of retailers and millions of items? The answer wasn’t more manpower. It was smarter systems.
By embracing AI—specifically generative algorithms—we’ve eliminated many of the traditional friction points in product development. Whether we’re testing a new browser extension or refining the user interface of our mobile app, the process begins with an AI model generating multiple prototypes based on data from user behavior, retailer inventories, and market trends.
What Is Generative Design?
At its core, generative design uses machine learning and neural networks to generate a wide array of possible solutions based on predefined goals and constraints. You input the requirements—say, speed, aesthetics, compatibility, or user engagement metrics—and the system produces optimized designs that a human team might never have considered.
At DigThisDeal.com, we’ve built our platform on a vision to revolutionize how people discover and purchase both new and pre-loved products online. We feed in data from:
- Search patterns and engagement signals
- Conversion rates from affiliate networks
- Heatmaps and interaction data from our platforms
- Retailer performance metrics and product catalogues
The result: designs that are not only functional but predictively aligned with user behavior and retailer needs.
Real-World Example: Our AI Matching Engine
One of the biggest breakthroughs has been our AI-powered matching engine, which connects users with both new and pre-loved items based on real-time preferences, price drops, and previous search activity. Initially, this system was a conceptual product spec, generated via a generative design model trained on e-commerce success factors.
Instead of developing a rigid feature list and assigning it to developers, we allowed the system to prototype hundreds of possible versions, tested against simulated user journeys. The AI chose the most performant variants based on projected click-through and conversion rates. Not only did this shorten our development cycle by over 70%, but it also reduced reliance on A/B testing in the wild. We knew what would work before we launched it.
Scaling Innovation Across the Platform
Today, AI helps us:
- Design user journeys that feel intuitive and personal
- Prototype new features in days, not quarters
- Recommend optimised deal placements and price points for retailers
- Automate tagging, categorization, and sentiment analysis for new listings
We’ve turned what used to be a team of humans reacting to data into a system of AI agents predicting and creating what’s next—continuously and at scale.
Final Thoughts: Letting AI Lead (and Humans Refine)
The misconception is that AI replaces creativity. In our experience, it augments it. At DigThisDeal.com, AI doesn’t remove the human element—it elevates it. By handling the grunt work of data analysis, iteration, and prediction, AI allows our team to focus on vision, strategy, and refinement.
Generative design has become our secret weapon—not just to stay ahead of the competition, but to shape the future of digital commerce. And the best part? We’re just getting started.
Ashley Bailey, CEO of Dig This Deal
