Turning AI-generated visuals into usable designs: advancing industrial design education

In industrial design, coming up with fresh ideas and turning them into real, usable designs is a key skill. However, many students find it tough to bring their early ideas to life in a way that is creative and practical. AI-based text-to-image tools, such as Ideogram, Stablecog, and Bing, allow students to create visuals from text descriptions, helping them visualise ideas more clearly. Research supports that these tools enhance early-stage design ideation, allowing students to evaluate feasibility sooner (Liu and Hu, 2023). By enabling students to create visuals from simple text descriptions, these tools provide clearer representations of their ideas, fostering cognitive skills in design. This article explores how AI-generated visuals can be adapted into workable designs, the steps involved, and the benefits and challenges of using these tools in industrial design education. AI-generated textto- image tools make it easier for students to turn their ideas into visuals right away. By typing in descriptive prompts, students can quickly produce rough images that give them a first look at their concepts. This helps students to break free from just sketching by hand and instead see their ideas in new ways, expanding possibilities in styling and functionality (Lee and Chiu, 2023). Visualising ideas early in the design process also helps students understand design feasibility.