AI POWERED ECOMM
OVERVIEW
ZEISS partnered with Goods & Services on a multi-year digital transformation to double year-over-year revenue. The program reimagined how ZEISS markets, sells, and supports the global research community—centered around an AI-powered e-commerce platform, new service models, and scalable acquisition tools.
CLIENT
ZEISS
INDUSTRY
SCIENCE
Highlight
Research-Driven
Vision prototypes, usability testing, and phased rollout from strategy through go-live and optimization.
E-Commerce Platform
Designed and launched a direct-to-customer purchasing experience, replacing slow, manual sales workflows and unlocking new revenue streams.
AI Assistant
Named, branded, and designed ZEISS’s AI assistant—defining personality, visual identity, and interaction behaviors.
challenge
Grow revenue from $250M to $500M in 5 years.
Legacy website not built for growth or discovery
Manual, dealer-led sales limited scale
Researchers struggled to find, configure, and quote solutions
Sales team could not grow fast enough to meet demand
ZEISS needed a digital ecosystem that could educate, convert, and scale—without increasing headcount.
research & strategy
Establishing a North Star Vision
We established a clear North Star vision grounded in business goals and real user needs.
Competitive and best-in-class assessment
20+ stakeholder and customer interviews
End-to-end journey and process mapping
Technology and platform audit
Opportunity mapping → North Star backlog
This work defined where ZEISS was, where it needed to go, and how to get there.
discovery & ux design
Simplify complex research tools
We designed and tested future-state experiences that made complex research tools easier to find, understand, and purchase.
Key concepts included:
Simplified navigation and use-case-based architecture
Researcher self-identification by workflow and goals
AI-powered content recommendations
Guided configuration and quoting experiences
Pre-bundled and custom microscopy solutions
Vision prototypes validated how AI and UX could shorten the path from discovery to purchase.
ai experience & branding
Introducing Carl
To humanize ZEISS’s AI capabilities, we created Carl, named after founder Carl Zeiss.
Brand principles:
Intelligent, not intimidating
Trustworthy, precise, and clear
Deeply rooted in ZEISS heritage
Carl became a recognizable, scalable entry point for guidance, discovery, and engagement across ZEISS digital platforms.
outcome
RESULTS
Enabled scalable, direct digital commerce
Reduced dependency on manual sales processes
Created a foundation for AI-driven discovery and growth
Established a modern, extensible design and AI system aligned with ZEISS’s brand