Beyond Automation: How UI/UX Designers Perceive AI as a Creative Partner in the Divergent Thinking Stages

2025-01-30

AI Summary

This study investigates how AI can effectively support creative ideation and efficiency enhancement during the divergent phases of UI/UX design—particularly research and conceptualization. Method: Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 19 professional designers and applying grounded theory–driven thematic coding, the study systematically identifies AI’s four functional roles: research assistance, ideation initiation, alternative design generation, and prototype exploration facilitation. Contribution/Results: It proposes four human-centered design principles for AI-augmented design tools—controllability, collaborativeness, efficiency liberation, and visual-habit adaptability. The work elucidates AI’s mechanism as a creative partner, establishes an empirically grounded framework for AI-enabled design innovation, and delivers actionable functional guidelines and theoretical foundations for next-generation AI-enhanced design systems.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: User Experience and Usability
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Computational Creativity
• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: Safety, Robustness & Trustworthiness

Application Category

• Semantics and Knowledge: Data modeling to support human-machine intelligence, including LLMs agents, intelligent system behavior, explanations, and user-friendly interactions
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Practical large-scale studies of user experience
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Uses of LLMs and GenAI for marketplace design, bidding, and strategic interactions

Abstract

Divergent thinking activities, like research and ideation, are key drivers of innovation in UI/UX design. Existing research has explored AI's role in automating design tasks, but leaves a critical gap in understanding how AI specifically influences divergent thinking. To address this, we conducted interviews with 19 professional UI/UX designers, examining their use and perception of AI in these creative activities. We found that in this context, participants valued AI tools that offer greater control over ideation, facilitate collaboration, enhance efficiency to liberate creativity, and align with their visual habits. Our results indicated four key roles AI plays in supporting divergent thinking: aiding research, kick-starting creativity, generating design alternatives, and facilitating prototype exploration. Through this study, we provide insights into the evolving role of AI in the less-investigated area of divergent thinking in UI/UX design, offering recommendations for future AI tools that better support design innovation.

Problem

• AI-assisted design
• Creative divergence
• UI/UX efficiency

Innovation

• AI-assisted design
• Creativity enhancement
• User-Centric AI tools