Workshop
AI as a design tool
At Hochschule Darmstadt I ran a workshop on using AI in the design process as something that supports the designer’s work instead of replacing it. AI adds one more step to the workflow, but it pays off as soon as you want to quickly try out variations, materials, colors, textures or lighting on a sketch. None of this is about getting a finished render at the push of a button; the point is to see more options early and decide faster which ones are worth pursuing.
Participants worked in Google Gemini, either with their own drawings or with photos of my sketches, and generated several design variations through simple prompts. I chose Gemini because it stays very close to the original sketch without adding changes nobody asked for, which makes it easy for first-time users. Tools like Vizcom, Midjourney or Kling.ai can go further, but within a 90-minute workshop Gemini let everyone try out lots of variations and get a real feel for designing with AI.
For me, AI in design is a tool that extends what I can do, not something that designs for me. Having it generate a vase on its own, without any design input, misses the point. I use it to explore variations, materials and compositions faster, while every decision about direction and detail stays with the designer.
