Using AI to generate short videos as stimuli for supporting design creativity

Current computational idea generation support tools, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven ones, mainly produce textual and/or pictorial stimuli to support design creativity at the early stages of design. However, the impact of using AI-generated videos as creative design stimuli remains underexplored. With the advancement in computational power and AI models, generating videos to support design creativity is possible. This paper explores using state-of-the-art AI models to generate short videos as stimuli for supporting creative idea generation. A qualitative case study is conducted, involving design experts comparing the effects of textual, pictorial and video stimuli to support the generation of a flying car concept. The case study indicates that design experts prefer video stimuli generated using AI models as they offer dynamic motion and mechanism information that provides more inspiration. Although the current AI-generated video stimuli have limitations, such as lacking technical details, this paper highlights the great potential of using video to prompt design creativity.