Exploring the Effects of Generative AI in Digital Design Processes

This research, employing a design thinking framework, focuses on how exactly AI tools support each stage of the design process and influence the evolving role, responsibilities and skill sets of designers. Generative AI, encompassing tools like СhatGPT, DALL-E 2, Midjourney, Adobe Sensei, and others, is transforming traditional design practices to more automated, efficient workflows, enabling designers to enhance creativity and productivity. This transformation formes a critical contradiction in the design industry: while technology advances rapidly, the understanding of its impact on designers' roles and required skill sets lags behind. This research aims to explore this contradiction, focusing on how AI tools influence digital design processes and the evolving role, responsibilities and required skills of designers. Through qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with professional designers, this study identifies both the opportunities afforded by generative AI in enhancing design processes and the challenges it poses, such as the need for advanced skills and new ways of thinking. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of AI's role in digital design and offer insights into future interactions between designers and intelligent systems, emphasizing the shift towards a symbiotic relationship where AI augments the human creative process. This study provides recommendations for designers, emphasizing the critical need for ongoing skill development and adaptability of designers to effectively leverage emerging AI technologies in their work. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Digital Design, Generative AI, Design Thinking, Technology Integration.