AHFE Open AccessGenAI and Search Tools in Design Education: Comparative Analysis of Student Creativity, Outcomes, and Experiences
Abstract
This study investigated how different creativity-support tools shape the ideation processes and outcomes of industrial design students. Undergraduate participants (N=45) were divided into three conditions: (1) no tool, (2) image search using Pinterest, and (3) generative AI image generation using Midjourney. Their design outputs were subsequently evaluated by expert reviewers (N=10) across four dimensions: effectiveness, originality, usability, and feasibility. Findings indicate that search tools facilitated connections to real-world cases, enhancing the rationality and feasibility of concepts, yet also introduced risks of homogenization and imitation. Generative AI tools, by contrast, expanded divergent thinking and metaphorical expression, fostering originality but revealing limitations in controllability and practical applicability. Overall, this research contributes empirical evidence on the differentiated roles of search-based and generative tools in design ideation, and highlights the pedagogical value of integrating these tools complementarily in design education to balance novelty with practical feasibility.
Keywords: Generative AI, Image Search, Design Ideation, Creativity Support, Human–AI Interaction, Design Education
DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1008005
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