The results of GenAI design tools such as Midjourney tend to be derivative producing middle of the road outputs, and potentially unethical because AI technologies rely on training data from the web. But designers, typically are critical adopters. New technologies are always interesting but the important question is what can designers do with GenAI? In the ideation process, GenAI tools such as ChatGPT can be used for generating and developing ideas. That is, ChatGPT can work like a co-designer for bouncing ideas and for creating interesting content and for writing coherent narratives. How would this collaboration between human and machine translate into the ideation process? Well, instead of banning GenAI in the workshop, using it would be a requirement. But with the important proviso not to take the results for granted. That is, GenAI outputs should be questioned, modified or even destroyed. This approach may reflect speculative design, that is, design not aimed at problem solving*. Blog sources: https://bravedog.co.uk/journal/ai-didnt-kill-designers-killed-lazy-design https://borism.medium.com/design-against-the-machine-72648374aec1 *Speculative Design (or Critical Design’) is an approach to design developed in the mid-nineties at the Royal College or Art London. It grew out of concerns with the uncritical drive behind technological progress, when technology is always assumed to be good and capable of solving any problem.
