Feasibility Study on Using Midjourney as a Reference for Industrial Design Form Development

This study explores the feasibility and impact of using AI image generation tools as a medium for industrial designers to create visual stimuli for product design. Twenty industrial design students participated, divided into two groups: one using AI image generation tools and the other using traditional image collection methods. Each group was tasked with constructing a image board, which was then used in a product design experiment. Expert evaluations were conducted on five key indicators across two stages, and the results were analyzed using an independent samples t-test. The findings indicated that the AI tool outperformed in relevance, aesthetics, and completeness, though these differences were not statistically significant. However, in differentiation and uniqueness, the traditional method scored higher, with a significant difference in differentiation. This study suggests that both tools offer unique benefits that can complement each other in the design process. It also underscores the importance of students’ design skills and awareness when using these tools to avoid potential pitfalls in design education. The insights from this research highlight the strengths and challenges of using these tools and provide valuable recommendations for their application in design education and research.