The ongoing digital revolution and, in particular, the increasing popularisation of AI technology are increasingly impacting design, both in academia and industry. In a new journal article a colleague and I discuss how, as experienced design educators, we embarked on an exploration of how ChatGPT might be integrated into design education as a virtual colleague for creating course materials for higher education design students (2023).
In the research, we drew on the contemporary history of design as a distinct academic discipline and set of practices (Cross 1982; Lawson 2004), noting its evolution and challenges alongside technological advancements (Drucker & Mcvarish 2013). The approach involved engaging directly with ChatGPT, treating it as a kind of virtual colleague, so as to develop different aspects of design course materials. This included learning elements such as design briefs, assignment projects and general course outlines. The approach was reflective and iterative, aimed at assessing the ChatGPT’s capabilities and limitations when used to help create design education learning materials.
The increasing challenges and, to varying degrees, incorporation of AI (especially ChatGPT) into design education, presents many challenges. The efficient and (sometimes overly) ordered output from AI tools like ChatGPT are certainly impressive in many ways. However, their implementation within the nuanced field of design education is fraught with complexities and shortcomings.
For example, the content generated by ChatGPT, although generally well-structured, lacks the nuance, context, creative input and critical thinking that is essential to design education. The outputs, while coherent, tend to be generic and can come across as boilerplate templates. This is a significant concern for design and, in particular, design education where critical thinking and engaging with design principles is part of the learning experience. The reliance on AI-generated content risks homogenising the educational experience, potentially stunting the development of critical skills and creative insights that are vital for design students.
Furthermore, ChatGPT’s limitations become especially pronounced when considering the interdisciplinary nature of design. Design practice and education can include non-formulaic concepts such as abstract reasoning, empathy, and reflection on different human-centred approaches. These are areas where AI’s capabilities currently appear to be limited. ChatGPT, with its focus on data-driven, algorithmic processing, struggles to deal with these nuanced, creative and human-centric aspects of design practice and education. This also reinforces the critical need for human educators when working with AI tools such as ChatGPT, so as to provide context, depth, and critical perspectives that current AI tools, at best, struggle to replicate.
That said, AI tools like ChatGPT can serve as useful assistants in certain aspects of course development, such as initial brainstorming and for methodologically organising content. However, these tools are not comprehensive solutions for the complexities and ambiguities of design education. They require careful oversight and significant input by experienced design educators to ensure that the learning materials they produce is accurate, non-homogenous, contextually relevant – not to mention, also inspiring and intellectually stimulating.
In summary, the integration of AI into design education might plausibly offer some benefits in terms of efficiency. However, the drawbacks in terms of a lack of criticality, creative thinking, and understanding of complex context-dependent design concepts are significant. The future of design education in relation to AI-drivent tools should be approached with caution and actively monitored by design-trained humans, ensuring that these tools are used judiciously (if at all) and in non-reductive ways, so that they support a multifaceted, contextual and critical-design learning experience.
Cross, N. 1982 Designerly ways of knowing. Design Studies 3, 221–227.
Drucker, J. & Mcvarish, E. 2013 Graphic Design History: A Critical Guide. Pearson.
Lawson, B. 2004 What Designers Know. Architectural Press.
Meron, Y. & Tekmen Araci Y. (2023) Artificial intelligence in design education: evaluating ChatGPT as a virtual colleague for post-graduate course development, Design Science, Vol. 9, No., pp. e30. doi: 10.1017/dsj.2023.28
Communication & Graphic Design Research 