AI

Human Intelligence + AI = Winning Combination

At Stellar, we believe that human intelligence is the key to unlocking the power and potential of AI-enabled digital products and services. We formed the Stellar AI team in late 2022 and immediately began delivering work for some of the world’s best known brands. Our goal on every AI engagement is to help our clients demystify artificial intelligence and start harnessing its power right now. One unavoidable reality with AI – there is no “one size fits all” solution for developing effective AI-enabled products and services. That’s why our comprehensive approach to AI always starts with developing a deep understanding of your business, market and customer goals. AI may seem like magic, but it still requires good old fashioned hard work to bring that magic to life.

That’s why our AI solution is loosely organized around the standard development lifecycle we use to create any digital product or service:

• AI Strategy – what’s the most effective strategy for your AI product/service?
• AI Concepts & Prototypes – how can we bring your AI vision to life?
• AI Product Development – how do we develop and launch your AI product/service?

Let’s take a look at how the Stellar team can help you navigate the sometimes complex yet always exciting AI product development journey.

AI Strategy

Our AI solution begins with strategy work. Whether we are developing an AI product from scratch or adding AI capabilities to an existing product, our approach remains consistent. First, we define what problem or challenge we are trying to use AI to solve. A clear problem definition is a critical part of the foundation of any successful AI product or service. During this problem definition step, the Stellar team works closely with client stakeholders to develop a deep understanding of the product’s target audience and their needs, preferences and behaviors. We also look closely at how this new AI product will impact our client’s business processes and work with stakeholders to develop a change management plan that will help their organization make the most out of the new product or service.

Next, we assemble the right multi-disciplinary team and work plan based on the complexity and level of effort required to design, build, test and deploy your AI product. The team can include a variety of roles – strategists, UX designers, visual designers, front-end devs, engineers, solution architects and data scientists. This multi-disciplinary collaboration is something that Stellar is particularly adept at. Our ability to integrate diverse perspectives is one of our team’s key strengths and helps create a well-rounded AI product strategy that addresses business, technical and customer considerations.

Finally, a robust data strategy is critical. AI relies heavily on quality data for training and optimization. Developing a strategy for collecting, cleaning, and managing data is essential for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of AI models. Additionally, a well-defined data strategy establishes a strong foundation for the successful evolution of your AI product or service. If you truly want to future proof your product, focus on the data quality.

AI Concepts & Prototypes

The Stellar AI team started delivering concepts and prototypes in 2023. Our first prototype was done for a major player in the tech space – you may be using their operating system right now – and was designed to help customers navigate their product catalog and find the options that best suit their needs. This project involved close collaboration with a team of client stakeholders to understand all of the technical, operational and customer nuances that would have to be baked into the prototype and, ultimately, the product itself.

The next prototype the Stellar AI team developed was done for one of the most recognized shoe and athletic wear brands in the world. This project was also focused on helping customers make more informed purchasing decisions. Traditional websites can sometimes be confusing and time-consuming to navigate, especially when the user simply wants to know what product would work best for them. The AI assistant we developed was like being able to ask an expert for unbiased advice that was delivered in a conversational format. A win-win for both client and customer.

The AI team at Stellar is a big believer in the power of prototypes. Each of the prototypes mentioned above were fully functioning, HTML-based prototypes that included “live” data feeds to create a realistic user experience. Those prototypes were then socialized within each of the client organizations and feedback was collected that helped us refine and validate the overall product design.

AI Product Development

If you’ve already got a solid product vision and prototype in place, the Stellar AI team can help you convert that vision and prototype into a ready-to-launch product. Tell us when you need to launch the product and we will assemble a team, create a development plan, put a schedule in place and get the product development process organized and underway.

In some ways, developing an AI product or service is like developing any other digital product or service. We incorporate development best practices into everything we do whether that’s an Agile development process, a more traditional waterfall approach, or a hybrid that combines the two, we can help you tie all the loose ends together and align our development process to the unique needs of your business, market and customers.

In other ways, developing an AI product or service is quite different from traditional digital products or services. This is most apparent when you look at the data your AI product or service needs to function effectively. The old computing adage “garbage in, garbage out” is particularly true when it comes to AI initiatives. We help you navigate nuances like choosing or creating the most appropriate algorithms based on the specific requirements of your AI product. We help you consider factors like accuracy, interpretability, and scalability of your data repository and focus on important details like ensuring your AI system can handle real-time processing and remains adaptable to evolving business and user needs.

How We Can Help

As you can see, developing an AI product or service comes with many mission-critical decisions and challenges. If you’ve never gone through the process of developing an AI product or service, it can be hard to figure out where to even start. That’s where Stellar’s AI team can provide invaluable experience, expertise and insights. We understand the nuances and potential pitfalls associated with AI and we’re here and ready to help you navigate the product development journey at every step. Whether it’s technology or product design consulting, the development of an AI prototype or the creation of an AI product or service that’s ready to launch, we’ve got you covered. Let’s chat and discuss how we can help.