Integrating Generative AI in Design Education: A Structured Approach to Client-Centered Interior Design Visualization

Generative AI (GAI) is reshaping the future of work in architecture by introducing innovative ways for humans to interact with technology, transforming the design process. In education, GAI offers students immersive environments for iterative exploration, enabling them to visualize, refine, and present design concepts more effectively. This paper investigates how GAI, through a structured framework, can enhance the learning of design tasks in elaborating interior design proposals, and preparing students for the evolving professional landscape. Drawing on the platform Midjourney, students explored concepts, material moodboards, and spatial compositions, simulating professional scenarios. Each student was assigned a real client and tasked with developing tailored design solutions, guided by client and tutor feedback. This approach demonstrates how GAI supports the development of future-oriented skills, directly linking education to the technological shifts in professional practice (Araya, 2019). The study adopts a practice-based methodology, documenting the outcomes of an interior design workshop where students employed GAI tools to develop client-specific proposals. Students engaged in role-playing, meeting their assigned clients face-to-face to gather requirements, acting as junior architects. They analyzed client feedback to inform the design phase, after which they used a structured framework for better using GAI to iteratively refine their proposals. By generating AI-assisted visualizations of spatial configurations and materials, students developed final design solutions that aligned with client expectations. Data from GAI iterations, client feedback, and tutor evaluations were used to assess how effectively AI tools contributed to producing professional-quality designs (Schwartz et al., 2022). Two research questions frame this investigation: (1) How does Generative AI enhance students' ability to create client-specific interior design solutions, from concept generation to final visualization, within a structured educational framework? (2) How does the integration of GAI tools impact the teaching of iterative design processes in architecture, particularly in preparing students for the future of work in the profession? The findings reveal that GAI significantly improved students' design outcomes by enabling them to visualize and refine their proposals based on real-world scenarios. GAI facilitated the exploration of current trends and supported the creation of material moodboards and space visualizations. The iterative nature of AI tools allowed students to better grasp the relationships between spatial configurations, design choices, and client needs. Their final proposals, incorporating AI-generated outputs, were praised for their conceptual clarity and technical precision, reflecting how AI-driven processes can transform traditional workflows (Burry, 2016). This study illustrates the transformative potential of GAI in architectural education, particularly in fostering dynamic human-technology interactions. By leveraging AI, students maintained control over outputs while transforming abstract concepts into client-ready designs. Moreover, the iterative feedback loop enabled by GAI promoted a more adaptive and responsive learning process, giving students real-time insights into their design decisions. These insights reflect broader changes in the future of work, where AI-driven tools will become integral to professional practice. Future research could explore expanding GAI’s role in more complex design stages, such as schematic design and development, building on the benefits observed in this study.