Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) facilitates designers in generating creative ideas. How designers work with AI to effectively stimulate and enhance their creativity is an urgent topic in the context of design education and creation. This study conducted a controlled experiment in a design education context to explore the effects of generative AI tools and visual stimuli on the creativity of designers in the early design stages. The results show that the use of text-to-image (T2I) AI tools and the stimulation of abstract visuals enhance the design creativity in both divergent and convergent thinking processes. However, it is important to be aware of the design fixation during this process. This study sheds light on the role and value of different AI tools for designers in the design process, offers a more effective solution of using AI for designers so as to improve creativity and design quality, and provides a theoretical basis for the application of AI-assisted design process.
Authors: Weichu Ge, Guanhua Hou
Institutions: City University of Macau, Southeast University
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,550
OpenAlex ID: W4413086079