Students use Generative AI for Design Thinking An exploratory case study on the use of Generative AI in the classroom by Lecturer of Industrial Design, Karen Yevenes

A picture tells a thousand words. An AI picture might tell over a thousand words! - Karen Yevenes

Figure 1 (above): Author attempts to create a mood board for a treehouse concept. Students were shown that although this “appears” to meet the brief, the output does not meet the objective as it is not the type of “mood board” the author was seeking. Source: Karen Yevenes 2024, using Adobe Firefly.

Introduction

This is an exploratory case study on the use of Generative AI in a first-year subject, Drawing Skills for Design Thinking. Generative AI was introduced to students as a means for "storytelling" through a series of drawing and graphics exercises, and employing Adobe Firefly's Generate Image tool.

Students were encouraged to utilise Generative AI in the design process to inspire or refine their concepts. The assessment task proposed students incorporate 50% AI graphics in their storyboard.

Figure 3 (above): Adobe Firefly integrates mood board with interior visuals. Source: Karen Yevenes 2024, using Adobe Firefly.

Background

The design brief required students to develop a storyboard to showcase a design proposal for any of the following: an occasional chair, an urban backpack design or unique play-space for example, a treehouse. Furthermore, the proposed design should adopt a 'futuristic' aesthetic.

The lecturer provided exemplars generated by Adobe Firefly to show process rather than attempting to generate an entire storyboard from the onset. As a starting point, sub-tasks were designed to allow students to become familiar with the software; students were encouraged to set goals, and to evaluate, critique, and reflect upon the AI output on an ongoing basis.

This case study explores how the academic promotes Generative AI as one of the many tools available to help students develop a range of decision-making skills such as:

Evaluative Skills
Logical Reasoning
Analytics
Critical Thinking

Key Learning Objectives of the task (irrespective of Generative AI usage)

• Students learn to produce quick visual drawings/experimental visuals, to explore a variety of design configurations.

• Students learn to make meaningful arrangements of design elements and design details in 2D and 3D forms.

• Students learn to experiment with materiality through the creation of mood boards and sample boards.

• Students learn to make decisions about viability of each design concept; each visual asks them to interrogate the output.

• Students learn to undertake strategic visual research to inspire further iterations of design possibilities.

Incorporating Generative AI

Key Learning Outcomes:

Enhance hand sketched ideas (push the concept further)
Employ English writing skills, vocabulary (word sequence; engineering prompting; literacy)
Evaluate, critique, analyse

Approach

Exercise 1: Create a Mood Board using Adobe Firefly

Figure 4: Adobe Firefly produces mood boards deemed as suitable for the purpose of inspiring the next phase of design development. Source: Karen Yevenes 2024, using Adobe Firefly.

Exercise 2: Insert a hand-generated drawing of a product design into Adobe Firefly to Produce a Marketing Rendering (resembling a 3D CAD rendering)

Students were tasked to do this with a backpack, a chair, or a play-space e.g. a treehouse.

Outcomes

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“AI affected what materials I wanted my design to be. Originally, I wanted to stick with simplicity but after seeing the AI renderings I did prefer the more intricate details." ID student, name withheld, 2024.

Insights

Enhancing Conceptual and Analytical Skills: AI, specifically Adobe Firefly, assists students in developing conceptual and analytical skills by enabling them to visualise and refine their design concepts quickly and effectively.

Integration with Traditional Techniques: The use of AI is combined with traditional hand-drawing techniques, allowing students to enhance their sketches and communicate design intent with greater clarity.

Iterative Design Process: AI encourages an iterative design process where students can experiment with different materials, colors, and configurations, leading to more informed decision-making.

Time Efficiency: AI tools like Adobe Firefly provide fast rendering capabilities, allowing students to explore multiple design options in a short amount of time, which is crucial for meeting project deadlines.

Real-World Application and Critical Thinking: The exercises promote real-world analytics and critical thinking, as students must evaluate the viability of AI-generated outputs and decide whether to incorporate or reject them based on their design goals.

That image doesn't make sense-there's no allowance for ventilation!” Architecture student, name withheld 2024