Integrating Artificial Intelligence into the Human-Centered Design Process: Enhancing Creativity and User-Centricity in Architectural Education

This paper explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the Human-Centered Design (HCD) framework in architectural education, with a particular focus on its application in the Master of Architecture (MArch) program at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). Over the past five years, AI has been systematically embedded into the three core phases of the HCD methodology: Hear, Create, and Deliver. Each phase has been adapted to support AI’s capabilities to enhance creativity, decision-making, and problem-solving throughout the design process.
In the Hear phase, AI supports the generation of user questionnaires and the management of data from on-site interviews, providing insights into user behaviours, contextual trends, and emerging needs. This data informs the design process, enabling more user-centered decisions. The Create phase, which lies at the core of this research, is where AI acts as a collaborative design partner. In this phase, AI generates innovative ideas, suggests design alternatives, and engages in a dynamic, conversational process with human designers to co-create and refine design concepts. The ability of AI to offer novel perspectives and co-develop ideas with human designers is central to enhancing the creative potential of the design process. Finally, in the Deliver phase, AI returns to a more technical role, assisting in the iterative refinement of the design by providing feedback and optimising the technical, functional, and aesthetic components through simulations, environmental impact predictions, and continuous design iterations.
The integration of AI into these phases has significantly increased creativity, efficiency, and user-centered outcomes. AI’s capacity to simulate diverse design solutions and predict environmental and social impacts has played a critical role in fostering inclusive, sustainable designs that align with both user needs and global challenges. However, challenges remain, especially in balancing AI’s computational strength with the emotional and intuitive dimensions of design. Ethical concerns such as data privacy and user consent also need to be addressed to maintain the integrity of the HCD process.
This paper reflects on the evolving role of AI in architectural education, from its early experimental use to a more integrated approach within the comprehensive HCD framework. AI has proven to be an invaluable tool for enhancing user-centric design processes, though continued refinement of its application is essential to ensure that it remains a complementary partner to human creativity. Future research should focus on advancing AI’s role in anticipating user needs and establishing new benchmarks for the integration of AI into architectural design education, better preparing students for the complexities of future architectural practice.