Positioned as the ‘inner sanctum’ of the Jaguar Land Rover brand, the SVO Technical Centre is a purpose‑built, 20,000‑square metre centre of excellence. As part of a multi‑million‑pound renovation in 2021, JLR asked ITG to help reinvent the bespoke configuration experience.
- Creative Direction
- User Experience Design
- User Interface Design
With JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations configurator, we set out to create an experience worthy of the brand’s most exclusive customers.
Challenge
The existing JLR online configurator provided a solid foundation, but the SVO suite demanded something far more elevated. This was not about driving quick conversions — it was about delivering a memorable, concierge-led journey for clients commissioning highly bespoke vehicles. The challenge was twofold: adapting the online configurator to a dual-device showroom setup (an input tablet paired with a wall-mounted real-time display) while expanding it to accommodate an unprecedented range of paints, trims, accessories, and bespoke options unique to SVO vehicles.
Solution
Working closely with ITG’s digital engineering team, we reimagined the configurator as a guided, tactile experience. Customers could explore new categories of options and rare materials, with a UX designed to encourage conversation rather than speed. A key innovation was the integration of NFC-enabled physical swatches: by placing a material sample on the suite’s table, the system instantly applied it to the digital vehicle build, blending hardware and software into a uniquely immersive interaction. The result was an experience that felt considered, luxurious, and worthy of the exclusivity of SVO – transforming configuration from a functional task into a moment of delight.
For us, the success of this project lay in resisting the urge to simply make the online configurator bigger and shinier. Instead, we reframed the challenge: what does “exclusive” feel like in digital terms? The answer wasn’t speed or efficiency, but slowing the process down - creating space for dialogue, tactility, and anticipation.
By tuning the UX towards exploration rather than completion, and by fusing digital interaction with physical cues, we crafted an experience that was not only functional but also emotionally resonant. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best design decision is to design for pause, not acceleration.
Design Team
Ben Tranter – Creative Director
Bethan Dutton – UX/UI Designer