[Interview] Marco Limm, Founder and CEO, cre[ai]tion, Germany

Marco Limm is the Founder and CEO of Frankfurt-based Cre[ai]tion, an AI-powered tool that allows any type of fashion, automotive, footwear, and jewelry designer to create designs and products through an easy-to-use interface.

Could you describe the state of the market and developments in the past year?

The excitement of late 2022 and the entirety of 2023 is currently transitioning into practical implementation at the end of 2023. 2024 is poised to be the year of substantial implementation. In the realm of gen-AI within the design space, testing only began in 2023. At cre[ai]tion, our goal is to bridge the gap between designers and AI models to facilitate the creative process as the field evolves.

How will gen-AI impact the design and product development process?

I won't make a definitive prediction, but it will change everything. The design flow and product creation process will be completely rethought and different. I hope that we build better products thanks to AI. For the first time, you can let the customer create and start the creative journey. The next stage will be mass market personalization.

Currently, user interactions with models are limited. Methods like Stable Diffusion or other solutions are cumbersome. It should be visual, not textual, so people can focus on what they excel at — the design aspect. This allows users to concentrate on the creative flow and enjoy upgrading product features.

Cre[ai]tion is an AI-powered design tool that supports theinspirational phase of design. We aim to be like Instagram, providing customers with a feed. Moving into theproduct creation phase, cre[ai]tion allows users to see their entire archive and every step in the design process, presented as a flowchart. The third step is theproduction phase, where cre[ai]tion can significantly reduce time-to-market.

The fashion industry stands to benefit greatly from this type of solution. For example, in fast fashion, Western companies are under pressure from Asian competitors to produce faster. Overall, industries across the board are reaching out to us. Any company that creates physical products requiring inspiration and creativity can leverage AI in their processes. For instance, we are working with Blanco, a water fountain company.

Which part of the design process will benefit the most (inspiration, prototyping, production, etc)?

While cre[ai]tion can provide value throughout the design process, it shines brightest in the inspirational phase. It empowers designers to explore and brainstorm various designs easily, fostering creativity from the very beginning.

Your tool is quite impressive in the way it simplifies the brainstorming process for designers. Can you explain the rationale behind this user interface?

Our user interface is designed to make the creative process intuitive and accessible. We believe that by providing designers with a user-friendly platform, we can encourage more innovative ideas and streamline the initial design phase, setting the stage for a smoother overall process.

Moreover, our interface aims to help designers tap into a unique emotional state — an inherent understanding of the direction a design should take, even when it can't be easily articulated at the outset. We recognize the importance of designers entering a flow state, where creativity flows effortlessly and exploring the vast realm of possibilities becomes second nature. In this state, known as "Möglichkeitsraum," or the space of possibilities, designers can push boundaries and discover novel directions for their designs, leading to groundbreaking outcomes. Our interface is meticulously crafted to facilitate this journey, ensuring that designers can immerse themselves in the creative flow and unlock their full potential.

What is a key trend in the space?

I see mass personalization and customization as a consequence of gen-AI-enabled designs. For example, companies have trouble getting people into their shops, and they're struggling to have consumers connect with their brand. Imagine that you go into a shop in the future and create your own running shoe or whatever apparel product, and then maybe several hours later or the next day, you have the shoes printed. You can pick it up, and then you have a unique pair of shoes.

If everybody can create their own Adidas or Nike shoes, what does this mean for them? I don't know yet. But I think that's a really interesting question for them to ask. And that is also what we are researching at cre[ai]tion.

How does this align with other strategic topics, such as on-demand production?

Cre[ai]tion aligns perfectly with the concept of on-demand production. By streamlining the design phase and reducing time-to-market, cre[ai]tion supports the agile production of products based on real-time demand, making it an ideal fit for this strategic approach.

How do you see gen-AI-enabled design tools as part of the already existing ecosystem of tools (for instance, Clo3D in fashion)?

The tools will still be there, but the creation process is before the actual creation of patterns, 3D models, or even 3D simulations. Hence, a solution like ours would be used before. In the future, however, the vision is for cre[ai]tion to be one platform, so instead of having 2D designs on cre[ai]tion, we want to also create 3D models automatically.

How can gen-AI tools establish defensibility?

Ultimately, success hinges on offering a superb user experience in tandem with a high-performing model. How you interact with the model is just as crucial as the model's performance itself. Customized model training for each customer within their unique environment also provides a competitive edge.

At cre[ai]tion, our team consists of a diverse mix of designers, tech experts, and business professionals. The user interface we are developing is unquestionably one of cre[ai]tion's unique selling points.

How do you envision cre[ai]tion being used by luxury fashion brands versus fast-fashion brands?

Cre[ai]tion can cater to both luxury and fast-fashion brands. For luxury brands, it can enhance the creative process and provide a platform for designing exclusive, bespoke products. In the fast-fashion segment, cre[ai]tion can accelerate design and production processes, helping brands meet the demand for quick product turnover.

This interview was first published on Plug and Play

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