Background
In an industry built on centuries of tradition, digital innovation has lagged behind. The luxury rug category valued at over $17B globally remained plagued by low-fidelity visuals, vague product specs, and an overwhelming sea of beige sameness.
Weaver & Loom set out to change that, merging artisan craft with machine intelligence to redefine how consumers shop for heirloom-quality rugs online.
The Challenge
How do you translate touch, weight, and heritage into pixels? Most online rug experiences feel transactional, not transformational. Our goal was to create a platform where browsing felt as rich as the rugs themselves.
Key Problems
Poor image quality for high-end rugs
Inability to visualize rugs in real environments
Technical textile language confusing to consumers
No clear storytelling around provenance or process
The Execution
UX & Product Strategy
Ran discovery sessions with interior designers and luxury shoppers
Mapped buyer journeys around inspiration, education, and confidence
Designed an architecture that emphasized transparency, customization, and tactility
AI + Visual Tech
Integrated AI-generated staging environments using MidJourney and DALL·E
Developed a neural model to simulate pile height, sheen, and shadow behavior
Built dynamic previews in concrete lofts, sunlit studios, and global interiors
Content & Provenance Layer
Wrote “Provenance Passports” for every rug: detailing origin, materials, knot density, and artisan interviews
Used storytelling to reframe product pages as editorial experiences
Tech Stack
Shopify + Custom Liquid for flexible merchandising
Shopify Hydrogen for lightning-fast headless UX
Results
+64% increase in user time-on-site
2.3x higher conversion from AI-staged rug previews
Strong B2B traction from interior designers and boutique hospitality chains
Impact
The platform now balances pixel-level realism with centuries-old craft, proving that even the most tactile of products can thrive in a virtual storefront if built with imagination and respect for materiality.
