From sketch to smart tech: AI’s role for tomorrow’s designers

As AI tools emerge in creative practice, they bring both opportunities and challenges, especially for the next generation of designers who must harness AI as a collaborative force.

AI enhancing creativity and redefining designer roles

AI is officially in the studio – like it or not. When you're teaching design students today, dodging it just isn’t an option. The real question becomes: how do we flip the script and turn AI into a creative ally instead of a classroom disruptor?

My research on how designers are responding to artificial intelligence began with a simple question: what do creatives really think about AI entering the design studio? Together with Fiona Chatteur, Mary Lou Maher, and Professor Tony Jan, we explored this through a national survey of Australian interior design students, educators, and professionals.

The insights we uncovered are now published in The International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation (Q1 rating), capturing a pivotal moment in time as the design community begins to navigate AI’s evolving role in creative practice.

What is striking is the general positive attitude towards AI, even among those who haven’t yet adopted it. Interior Designers have used digital tools like CAD, 3D modelling, and image software for decades. These technologies were new once too. So, based on this experience, designers are generally more open to AI even if they have yet to adopt it, because they recognise digital technology’s potential.

However, there are differences: unlike traditional software, AI acts more like a design partner than just a tool. It can generate highly impactful designs at a fast pace, raising concerns about whether human creativity will be overshadowed. Many surveyed designers felt uneasy about AI’s growing role, particularly regarding the preservation of uniquely human talent.

Implications of AI on Design students  

Most participants in our study supported AI tools for learning and teaching. Students should embrace AI to become strong prompters – strategic prompting will be a valuable skill for future employees. However, students also expressed concerns about AI trained on existing designs, reinforcing their commitment to originality and academic integrity.

In our Design courses at Billy Blue College of Design, we encourage students to be bold and brave with new AI tools. However, we do emphasise the importance of referencing AI wisely and transparently. Also, AI is not a substitute for learning the traditional hand skills and computer skills needed for the students’ particular design discipline.

Interior Design students, teachers, and professionals were anonymously surveyed to understand what they think about using AI tools. They used a well-known method called the Technology Acceptance Model, which has been around since the 1980s. It looks at two things: how helpful people think a new technology is, and how easy they think it is to use.

AI developers can use our research findings as a guide to refine AI tools for tasks that designers find useful—like space planning, documentation, materials scheduling, and presentation images.  They must also ensure AI amplifies human creativity rather than diminishing it, unlocking new ways for designers to express their vision, work more productively, and showcase their unique talents.”

Read the full paper on The Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by an Australian Interior Design and Design Education Community here.