A Case Study on Architectural Design Education for Lower-Year University Students Using Generative AI

This study is to conduct an in-depth analysis of how Generative AI is being adopted in interior design studio classes and how it may transform the design process. Interior design requires both creative thinking and technical skills, and the recent emergence of Generative AI technologies is bringing about methodological innovation in design education. This research focuses particularly on prominent AI tools such as ChatGPT, MidJourney, and PromeAI, exploring how they are being utilized in studio classes and examining their impact on students' learning processes and design outcomes. The results indicates that Generative AI tools significantly contribute to stimulating students' creativity and improving work efficiency throughout the entire design process, from brainstorming and visualization to design development and final products. The integration of AI has led to a more flexible and multi-dimensional evolution of the traditional design process, offering students more opportunities to explore and experiment with a wider range of design options. However, the study also reveals some limitations of AI tools, in that they do not always function perfectly, especially in tasks requiring intricate detail, and they often show significant discrepancy between user expectations and generated outcomes. This study demonstrates the potential of Generative AI as an innovative tool for enhancing creativity and efficiency in interior design education, and it suggests specific educational implications for the effective integration of these tools into classes. The results of this research can serve as a valuable foundation for assessing the role of AI tools in upcoming future interior design curricula.