#615: Leveraging Generative AI for Iteration in Undergraduate Design

Training designers requires not only technical skills, but also the ability to think critically, creatively, and strategically. Design applications powered by Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) are emerging every day, hence educators are concerned about the development of students’ creative abilities. The project is a pedagogical experience mediated by a GenAI tool, the ‘DIAgent’. Through a dynamic interaction between initial sketches, guiding questions, and automated feedback provided by the tool, students iterate their proposals, considering key variables such as form, usability, ergonomics, materials, and technology. This study is conducted with a mixed-method approach as an exploratory study to assess the creative abilities of a sample of 103 undergraduate students after the intervention. This paper presents the tool and the application protocol to be applied in six different design classes as the study’s first phase results, leading to a better understanding of how to redefine the students’ design process.