ProgramsFall 2025 Industry Capstone ProgramProjectsAI-Driven Personalization Strategy for The Webster

Project Title: AI-Driven Personalization Strategy for The Webster

The Webster

Details
Project Title AI-Driven Personalization Strategy for The Webster
Project Topics
Skills & Expertise
Project Synopsis: Challenge/Opportunity
Enhancing Luxury Retail with AI: Personalized Recommendations and Customer Insights for The Webster

The Webster, a high-end fashion retailer proposes the development of an AI-driven personalization strategy to improve customer engagement, drive online conversion rates, and enhance the overall luxury shopping experience. Leveraging advanced data analytics and machine learning, the project will create a prototype for a personalized recommendation engine and deliver actionable customer segmentation insights.

The corporate partner for this project is Luigi DeGuzman. He has nearly six years of progressive leadership experience at The Webster, currently serving as VP of Merchandising. With a strong background in analytics and strategy, they previously held roles as VP of Analytics and Strategy and Director of Analytics, demonstrating a consistent track record of data-driven decision-making in the luxury retail space.
Project Synopsis: Activities/Actions Required
Objectives:
  • Analyze customer behavior and purchase patterns from available data (e.g., web analytics, CRM, sales data).
  • Design and prototype a machine learning model for product recommendations based on user preferences, browsing history, and style affinity.
  • Develop a segmentation framework (e.g., RFM, clustering) to target different customer personas with tailored marketing strategies.
  • Benchmark current personalization capabilities and identify strategic improvements.

Expected Deliverables:
  • Interactive dashboard showcasing customer segments, trends, and behaviors.
  • Prototype recommendation system with example outputs.
  • Executive summary and strategic roadmap with business implications and next steps.

Student Capstone Team Skills:
The team will comprise students with expertise in business analytics, AI/ML, marketing strategy, and data visualization tools (e.g., Python, Tableau, or Power BI).
  
Project Synopsis: Expected Results
Value to The Webster:
  • Improved customer experience through intelligent product discovery.
  • Increased customer retention and conversion through targeted outreach.
  • Data-driven insights to support strategic merchandising and marketing decisions.

Project Timeline

The Webster - AI-Driven Personalization Strategy for The Webster
Due Date
Activities
Deliverables
Status
Action
Wed, 08/27/25
5:00 PM EST (UTC-05:00)
Getting Started: Complete Your Student Onboarding Form
To help your Faculty Advisor and schedule your weekly team meetings (starting in September), please take a few minutes to complete the form linked below. You’ll be asked to provide your availability, preferred meeting times, and a few key details to help them support your experience this semester.

Please submit your responses by August 27th at 5:00 PM EST.

This is a required first step to get your project team up and running smoothly:
https://forms.office.com/r/USS7WcBcEw
No Deliverables
No deliverables are required for this action item.
View Calendar
Guiding Questions:
To help your Faculty Advisor and schedule your weekly team meetings (starting in September), please take a few minutes to complete the form linked below. You’ll be asked to provide your availability, preferred meeting times, and a few key details to help them support your experience this semester.

Please submit your responses by August 27th at 5:00 PM EST.

This is a required first step to get your project team up and running smoothly:
https://forms.office.com/r/USS7WcBcEw
Tue, 09/02/25
12:00 AM UTC
Welcome to the Fall 2025 Industry Capstone Program!
We’re excited to kick off another semester of real-world learning, collaboration, and innovation! This is your opportunity to work closely with industry partners, apply your academic skills to solve real business challenges, and gain meaningful professional experience.

Be sure to check this dashboard regularly for project updates, important dates, and announcements. Let’s make this a semester to remember, welcome aboard!
No Deliverables
No deliverables are required for this action item.
Guiding Questions:
We’re excited to kick off another semester of real-world learning, collaboration, and innovation! This is your opportunity to work closely with industry partners, apply your academic skills to solve real business challenges, and gain meaningful professional experience.

Be sure to check this dashboard regularly for project updates, important dates, and announcements. Let’s make this a semester to remember, welcome aboard!
Tue, 09/02/25
12:00 AM UTC
Academic Calendar
We’ve linked the Academic Calendar for this semester below to help you stay on track. It includes key dates such as university holidays, class schedules, deadlines, and other important academic milestones.

Be sure to review it carefully so you’re aware of when your team meets, when assignments are due, and how your Capstone work fits into the broader semester. Staying organized starts here!

https://www.stevens.edu/office-of-the-registrar/academic-calendar
No Deliverables
No deliverables are required for this action item.
Guiding Questions:
We’ve linked the Academic Calendar for this semester below to help you stay on track. It includes key dates such as university holidays, class schedules, deadlines, and other important academic milestones.

Be sure to review it carefully so you’re aware of when your team meets, when assignments are due, and how your Capstone work fits into the broader semester. Staying organized starts here!

https://www.stevens.edu/office-of-the-registrar/academic-calendar
Fri, 11/07/25
11:59 PM EST (UTC-05:00)
Fall 2025 Midterm Presentation
Required Deliverable
The Midterm Presentation is a key milestone in your Capstone experience. It gives your team the opportunity to showcase your progress, clarify your project goals, and gather valuable feedback from your faculty advisor and School of Business staff. 

This is your chance to demonstrate your understanding of the challenge, the approach you’re taking, and any early insights you've uncovered. Clear communication and thoughtful analysis at this stage will help ensure a strong finish to your project in the second half of the semester.

Treat it as both a checkpoint and a strategic opportunity to refine your work moving forward!

Christina Alwell will coordinate with team leads in early October to schedule the midterm presentations. These will take place in mid-October and early November.

Team Leads: Please upload a copy of your team’s Midterm Presentation here. This submission helps us keep track of progress and ensure faculty and industry partners have access to your work.
Required Deliverable
Deliverable submission is required.
Guiding Questions:
The Midterm Presentation is a key milestone in your Capstone experience. It gives your team the opportunity to showcase your progress, clarify your project goals, and gather valuable feedback from your faculty advisor and School of Business staff. 

This is your chance to demonstrate your understanding of the challenge, the approach you’re taking, and any early insights you've uncovered. Clear communication and thoughtful analysis at this stage will help ensure a strong finish to your project in the second half of the semester.

Treat it as both a checkpoint and a strategic opportunity to refine your work moving forward!

Christina Alwell will coordinate with team leads in early October to schedule the midterm presentations. These will take place in mid-October and early November.

Team Leads: Please upload a copy of your team’s Midterm Presentation here. This submission helps us keep track of progress and ensure faculty and industry partners have access to your work.
Fri, 11/07/25
11:59 PM EST (UTC-05:00)
Fall 2025 Midterm Student Self Reflection
Required Evaluation
Evaluation submission is required.
View
Fri, 12/19/25
11:59 PM EST (UTC-05:00)
Fall 2025 Final Self Reflection
Required Evaluation
Evaluation submission is required.
View
Fri, 12/19/25
11:59 PM EST (UTC-05:00)
Fall 2025 Final Presentation
Required Deliverable
The Final Presentation is the culmination of your semester-long work and a chance to demonstrate the impact of your project. This is where your team presents your findings, recommendations, and overall contributions to your industry sponsor and faculty advisor.

It’s not just about what you accomplished—it’s about how you approached the problem, collaborated as a team, and applied your skills to deliver meaningful outcomes. Think of it as your professional showcase: a polished, confident presentation that reflects your effort, growth, and real-world readiness.

Take pride in what you've built and finish strong!

Christina Alwell will coordinate with team leads in late November/early December to schedule the final presentations. These will take place in mid-December (last week of classes and/or final exam period).

Team Leads: Please upload a copy of your team’s Final Presentation here. This submission helps us keep track of progress and ensure faculty and industry partners have access to your work.
Required Deliverable
Deliverable submission is required.
Guiding Questions:
The Final Presentation is the culmination of your semester-long work and a chance to demonstrate the impact of your project. This is where your team presents your findings, recommendations, and overall contributions to your industry sponsor and faculty advisor.

It’s not just about what you accomplished—it’s about how you approached the problem, collaborated as a team, and applied your skills to deliver meaningful outcomes. Think of it as your professional showcase: a polished, confident presentation that reflects your effort, growth, and real-world readiness.

Take pride in what you've built and finish strong!

Christina Alwell will coordinate with team leads in late November/early December to schedule the final presentations. These will take place in mid-December (last week of classes and/or final exam period).

Team Leads: Please upload a copy of your team’s Final Presentation here. This submission helps us keep track of progress and ensure faculty and industry partners have access to your work.

Program Managers

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