Faculty of Design

Industrial Design

Erin MacGregor

Dall-E and Me: An AI Design Methodology

This is my thesis, which is a holistic look at how generative AI platforms such as Dall-E 2 will impact and change our creative process. During this time, I interviewed different creatives (Such as artists, chefs, and writers) in order to glean what they desire most from generative AI. Then after my research phase, I developed a new type of user experience when it comes to prompting, as well as my own prompting method. From there, I proved my method, which I call "Gestalt prompting" works by generating 100 Knoll chairs, and creating one final prototype.To put it into a list, this project is:- A Generative AI prompting platform- A prompting method- 100 Knoll Chairs, generated visually- 5 3D models of a few of those same chairs- 1 3D print of a prototype- 1 full scale prototype- An overview of where design, and the creative industries as a whole, are headed.

“I began this journey in the summer of 2022. A Dall-E 2 like app called Craiyon had gone viral, and all of my friends were using it to create amusing memes. I tried to generate a few products with it, and wasn’t all too impressed. A few months later, I was granted access to Dall-E 2. What I did not expect, was how quickly I would be able to generate these surreal renderings merely by typing in a few words into the prompter. After using Dall-E 2 once, I was an instant believer in AI and it’s power to enhance the creative process. One problem remained though - Very rarely would the AI create exactly what I was thinking. And while the novelty of these dreamy designs also did wonders for my ideation phase, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated. This is how I harnessed my frustration. ”