Designers vs. AI: Exploring Creative Processes from Prompts to Outputs

Design is a process of creative exploration, where language, materials, and prototypes are applied as inspiration to guide final decisions. Prompts play an important role in shaping design logic and outcomes. With the rapid development of AI-generated content (AIGC), prompts provide a new perspective for exploring creativity and design outcomes. This study investigates how design students and AIGC tools respond to prompts through two stages. In Stage 1, both groups generated outputs from the same prompts, we found that AIGC tends to generate design outputs that are more inclined towards imagery through literal translation of word prompts and realistic expression of visual characteristics. On the contrary, students prefer to analyze the figurative meaning of words and add abstract visual element changes to convey design ideas. In Stage 2, based on prior outputs, both groups developed product designs under the same requirements. Students generated design content from forms, functions, emotions, and cultural symbolism of their clay prototypes. AIGC focused more on visual translation based on original prompts. These findings discussed the iterative flexibility of creativity versus linear production, offering insights into their complementary potential in design workflows.