How Generative AI supports human in conceptual design

TL;DR

This study investigates how Generative AI technologies support human designers in conceptual design, highlighting their roles in problem framing and idea generation, and emphasizing the importance of human judgment in idea evaluation.

Contribution

It uncovers specific roles of Generative AI in supporting different stages of conceptual design and provides empirical evidence of its impact on novice designers' workflows.

Findings

Generative AI aids problem definition and idea generation.

Idea evaluation remains mainly human-driven.

AI assistance enhances idea selection and evaluation.

Abstract

Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) is a collection of AI technologies that can generate new information such as texts and images. With its strong capabilities, Generative AI has been actively studied in creative design processes. However, limited studies have explored the roles of humans and Generative AI in conceptual design processes, leaving a gap for human-AI collaboration investigation. To address this gap, this study uncovers the contributions of different Generative AI technologies in assisting humans in the conceptual design process. Novice designers completed two design tasks with or without the assistance of Generative AI. Results revealed that Generative AI primarily assists humans in problem definition and idea generation stages, while idea selection and evaluation remain predominantly human-led. Additionally, with Generative AI assistance, the idea selection and evaluation stages were further enhanced. Based on the findings, we discuss the role of Generative AI in human-AI collaboration and implications for enhancing future conceptual design support with Generative AI assistance.