Qualitative Evaluation of Medium Stimuli for Creativity in Artificial Intelligence-Powered Product Design

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a crucial role in modern product design, yet its integration into the design process presents unique challenges. To support designers in AI-powered design ideation, our team developed two types of inspirational stimuli (IS) for AI-powered products (ISfAI): the ISfAI-Sheet (simple stimuli) and ISfAI-Cards (mixed stimuli). This study evaluates the effectiveness of these ISfAI tools in enhancing creativity, using qualitative analysis of feedback collected from questionnaires and practice-based experiments with 26 senior industrial design students. The findings reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the ISfAI tools in fostering creativity and identifying common challenges in their use. Additionally, the research highlights the unique advantages of domain-specific IS, particularly how medium-level stimuli can improve knowledge reasoning processes. These insights will help researchers, designers, and educators in effectively applying these tools and refining ideation techniques in design practice.