The configurator is often the first meaningful touchpoint users have with a brand’s product offering. Across industries — from automotive to furniture to eyewear — configurators must evolve beyond simple purchase tools into immersive experiences that engage a broader audience.
This audit compares leading configurators from Tesla, IKEA, Ray-Ban, and Ferrari to uncover best practices and gaps, with my proposal for a new generation of configurators.
The audit involved hands-on testing and heuristic evaluation of configurator flows, complemented by publicly available usage statistics and user feedback data where accessible, to assess engagement drivers and friction points.
→ Source – Re-innovang Business in the Digital Era
My traditional audit template includes a “Price” column reflecting user cost. However, configurators are nearly always free for users. This absence itself is a critical insight: a free configurator is a strategic asset that can:
Most brands, including Ferrari today, focus configurators narrowly on buyers actively looking to purchase — missing the broader opportunity to engage enthusiasts, aspirational fans, and future customers.
While all competitors offer configurators free to users, their potential as brand engagement platforms varies greatly. Configurators aren’t just transactional tools; they are emotionally charged, interactive brand experiences that invite users to dream, explore, and connect with the brand identity — even if they’re not ready or able to buy a high-ticket item.
Critically, configurators can be designed to guide users toward products beyond the configured item itself.
For example:
after a young enthusiast configures their dream Ferrari, the platform can recognize their profile — age, budget, interests — and seamlessly suggest accessible brand merchandise such as apparel, accessories, or collectibles. This personalized journey fosters a sense of inclusion and loyalty, turning aspirational engagement into tangible brand connections and sales opportunities.