Walmart's AI-First Shopping Experience
I led design for a next-generation AI shopping experience serving millions of customers. I reimagined product discovery across categories—from TVs to fashion—through multimodal search, GenAI recommendations, and AR that help shoppers find the right products faster and with greater confidence.
Problem
Shoppers struggle to express needs or feel confident about product fit using traditional filters and static images.
Solution
AI-powered search and fashion tools interpret intent, images, and preferences to deliver accurate recommendations.
My Role
Defined vision for Walmart’s AI-first shopping experience, shaping how generative and multimodal AI enhanced discovery while preserving customer trust at scale.
AI Commerce Strategy
Operated with AI as a strategic co-pilot—using it to explore directions, prototype discovery models, build narratives, and align cross-functional partners at speed.
AI-Native Operating Model
Collaborated across product, eng, and research to align AI with real user needs and deliver scalable, intuitive ecommerce experiences.
XFN Partnering
How I Led This
When we began exploring AI-powered search at Walmart, the ambition was high—but so was the risk. Search is a core experience used by millions daily, and aggressively introducing AI could easily erode trust if it replaced familiar behaviors too quickly.
I took a clear position early: AI should layer onto search, not replace it. Based on customer research and real anecdotes about how shoppers compare and decide—especially for complex purchases—I believed we needed to protect the existing experience while testing new capabilities in reversible ways.
I worked closely with product and engineering leaders to co-create a shared vision that balanced speed with operational reality. By treating AI features as a two-way door layered on top of a stable one-way door, we were able to move quickly without gambling the core experience.
The result was a credible multimodal AI search direction that earned executive buy-in because it respected both customer trust and the scale of the platform.
"Move fast — but know which doors you can't walk back through."
What I Built With AI
This next-generation shopping platform is an AI-powered mobile experience with multiple innovative features designed for discovery, confidence, and personalization:
Multimodal AI Search
Enables customers to search using voice, photos, or video, combining natural language with visual recognition to surface accurate results and eliminate zero-result queries.
AI Shopping Wizard with AR
Guides customers through contextual questions about needs, preferences, and environment, then uses AR to visualize products in their actual space for confident decision-making.GenAI Fashion Discovery
Provides personalized style recommendations, virtual try-on experiences, and AI-curated outfit suggestions that adapt to individual preferences and shopping occasions.Intelligent Product Comparison
Automatically analyzes user context, intent, and behavior to deliver transparent, confidence-building comparisons with supporting evidence and relevant reviews.
Design Vision
Our vision was based on user research, landscape analysis, and design concepting. With this strategy the team proceeded to create an end-to experience.
AI-First TV Shopping Experience
I led design for Walmart's AI-powered TV shopping that transforms complex purchases into confident decisions. Customers use multimodal search and AR to discover products, refine choices through an AI wizard, then collaborate with family through shared shopping missions—turning expensive solo decisions into trusted joint purchases.
Use Case 1:
Multimodal search
A Walmart customer is looking for a new TV. She uses a multimodal video for AI to scan measurements and the lighting in her space to gain context insights to make intelligent recommendations.
AI Wizard + AR Comparison
Using AI search chat, the user answers simple quiz to get higher confidence recommendations. She then uses AR to compare the 3 TVs in her room.
Collaborative Decision-Making
Research showed expensive purchases need collaboration. Sarah creates a "shopping mission" with her top three TVs for her husband, who reviews options using AR, asks the AI assistant questions, and votes confidently.
Finding Your Perfect Style with AI
A customer uses multimodal search (photo of a dress she likes) and the AI wizard to refine her needs for a wedding. On the product page, inspiring visuals and virtual try-on let her see the dress on herself. She then completes the Style Profile to get personalized recommendations—shifting her perception of Walmart as fashion-forward.
Use Case 2:
Inspiring PDP and Virtual Try-on
We made the fashion PDP more visual and inspiring with storytelling and interactive cards. The new try-it-on feature lets shoppers upload a photo and see the outfit on themselves in different settings for a more personal, confidence-boosting experience.
Style Profile
The Style Profile Wizard lets shoppers quickly personalize their fashion experience through a fun, AI-guided quiz. It delivers a tailored style report with curated outfits and colors that match their vibe.
“Lance is super collaborative, constantly iterating on the vision and staying focused on building realistic, user-centered designs. He’s found creative, scrappy ways to explore new ideas and move things forward.”
Keshav Agrawal, Sr Director of Product Walmart
15%
increase in TV purchase
driven by multimodal inputs (voice, photo, video) that surface more accurate results and reduce zero-result queries.
18%
reduction in clothing returns
caused by higher confidence in fit and style from visual try-on and personalized style profiles.
Outcomes
Created an AI-first mobile shopping experience that transforms product discovery for millions of Walmart customers
Unified search, browse, and Live Camera features into a cohesive AI-powered journey that builds customer confidence
Delivered multimodal intelligence and contextual recommendations that match in-store assistance with digital convenience
Positioned to drive significant increases in purchase conversion and customer loyalty through personalized, trustworthy AI
