FOR INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS
AN AI SKETCHING TOOL
SMART SKETCH
Promoting human-AI collaboration.
AI INTERACTION · SOLO PROJECT · 3 - MONTH
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AI is becoming more common in design, making sketching faster but often adding unwanted details. Designers want to keep creative control while enjoying the efficiency of AI. This project introduces an AI-assisted sketching tool that blends hand sketching with AI for efficiency while retaining control.
CONTEXT
Generative AI tools are often promoted as powerful aids for creative work, yet it’s important to examine the shortcomings that can occur when relying on them for ideation. Here are some examples, sourced from the official website of Prome AI, which were presented as successful case studies. While these examples showcase impressive abilities in rendering high-quality images from rough sketches, they also reveal critical mistakes in understanding and interpretation that cannot be overlooked.
Example 1
Adding extra details to the outsole, and misinterpreting the holes on the side?
PROBLEM
AI is increasingly used in design, speeding up sketching and ideation but often adding unnecessary details and skipping essential thought processes for designers. This project offers an AI-assisted sketching tool that combines the efficiency and idea generation of AI with the creative control and thoughtfulness of traditional hand sketching.
Work flow of hand sketches
Work flow of using generative AI
Proposed work flow
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Current generative AI interactions tend to diminish the creative role of designers during the ideation process. How can we design a workflow that fosters collaboration between human designers and AI, retaining AI’s benefits while preserving creative expression?
DESIGN SOLUTION​
PERSONALIZATION
During the sign-up process, users are prompted to answer a few experience-based questions and upload samples of their previous work. This information is used to train the AI model and deliver personalized, customizable assistance.
AI ASSISTANT
By collaborating with the AI assistant, users can utilize the chatbot for a variety of tasks, such as creating color swatches, generating reference images, activating specific tools... By enabling these complex tasks to be completed through simple, intuitive conversations, this feature facilitates seamless and dynamic collaboration with the AI in a highly user-friendly manner.
PERSPECTIVE GRID
The perspective grid, one of the AI tools, automatically generates guidelines to assist users during sketching. AI analyzes the initial lines drawn by the user to generate an accurate grid for reference. Once the sketch is completed on the grid, users can drag and rotate the canvas to explore a different view, dynamically adjusted by the AI for an alternative perspective.
FOCUS ADVICE
The focus advice tool lets users crop a canvas area for localized edits, with options to adjust style and provide text input for customization. This feature mimics the collaborative dynamic of a student and instructor during sketching. By cropping a specific area, users can spotlight a region for advice, and the AI generates multiple options for users to explore and choose from.
ACTIVE FEEDBACK
Active feedback lets the AI critique work, mimicking team comments on a shared document. Users have the option to activate this feature continuously to receive live AI feedback as they sketch or turn it on periodically to review new comments. This flexibility empowers users to decide how much they want the AI to participate in their creative process, tailoring the experience to their personal preferences.
