Rethinking designer agency: A case study of co-creation between designers and AI

The creativity exhibited by generative artificial intelligence (AI) has caused anxiety among some designers. This unclearly explained creativity has a significant impact on designers' creative activities. Therefore, this study aims to explore the process of co-creation between designers and generative AI, investigate the impact of generative AI on designers' creative activities and its underlying mechanisms, and explore how designers utilize agency to respond to this new challenge. Based on the theory of creative segment, a human-AI co-creative segement model is proposed to elucidate the mechanism of AI-augmented design. An observational study was conducted on a workshop where designers and generative AI collaborated in creating a design. Through analyzing designers' cognitive behavior during this process, their agency was identified, and three interactive modes of human-AI co-creation were proposed. Based on the above analysis, this study reflects on the current state of designer design and AI-augmented design tools, proposing that AI and designers should evolve collaboratively, and designers should exert their agency when facing new technologies like AI. Relevant tools and research should also aim to facilitate this process.