Muse to shortlist a lightweight work tote
Debra Aho Williamson tested Muse with a shopping brief that was more specific than asking for a nice bag. Her work tote needed to weigh under two pounds, use leather or nylon, close with a zipper and cost no more than $400. It also had to fit a fifteen-inch laptop, an iPad and everyday items, with preferred colours and a modern appearance.
linkedin.com
Original prompt
Shared by the source author. See source notes for context.
Help me find a new work tote. It should be under 2 pounds, leather or nylon, zipper closure, $400 or less
Reach people exploring AI agents
See placements →Evidence at a glance
Sourced account- Source author
- Debra Aho Williamson
- Original account
- Read the source ↗
- Published
- Source link checked
- Reported result
- Three named tote options; the agent-assisted checkout was not completed.
- Human involvement
- Williamson inspected the finalists and stopped the account-login step herself.
A linked account supports attribution. It does not mean we independently reproduced its result.
Report an issue with this case
Open correction emailOpens your email app with the case link included. Nothing is sent automatically.
How the agent did it
- Give Muse weight, material, closure, budget and capacity requirements.
- Inspect the three shortlisted bags on retailer sites.
- Decide separately whether to proceed through retailer account access.
Debra Aho Williamson tested Muse with a shopping brief that was more specific than asking for a nice bag. Her work tote needed to weigh under two pounds, use leather or nylon, close with a zipper and cost no more than $400. It also had to fit a fifteen-inch laptop, an iPad and everyday items, with preferred colours and a modern appearance.
Muse browsed retailers including Calpak, Everlane, Nordstrom and Cuyana. A temporary unusual-activity block appeared during the search, but the browsing continued. After about fifteen minutes, the shortlist included Cuyana's Tall Easy Zipper Tote, the Briggs & Riley Rhapsody Expandable Tote and a Maison de Sabre leather laptop bag.
Williamson checked the brand websites herself and chose the Briggs & Riley option. She then tried Buy with Muse. The process reached Nordstrom's login, where she stopped because she was uncomfortable granting access. That was a human decision to end the test, rather than evidence that Muse completed a purchase or failed to find the bag.
Her later manual Nordstrom browsing became a separate shopping session with additional purchases. It does not establish a measured saving from Muse. The useful pattern is the constrained shortlist: give dimensions, weight, closure and budget upfront, inspect the finalists, and treat account access as a separate decision.
Prompt
Original prompt
Source: www.linkedin.com · Debra Aho Williamson
Frequently asked questions
Which constraints mattered?
Weight, zipper closure, material, a $400 ceiling and capacity for a fifteen-inch laptop and daily items.
Was the bag bought through Muse?
No. Williamson stopped when the process requested her Nordstrom login.
Did the later shopping prove a saving?
No. Her later manual purchases are a separate session, not a measured agent saving.
More details
About this account
Muse browsed retailers and produced a three-bag shortlist.
Firsthand source opened and read. Prompt is a verbatim excerpt of the published original instruction.
Credit: Debra Aho Williamson
Source published
Added to Agents In Use
Source checked
Tools and topics
Nordstrom · Cuyana · Calpak · Everlane
Work totes · Product constraints · Checkout handoff
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.