Abstract
With the increasing insertion of AI tools in creative work in recent years, concerns about misinterpreting creativity and rendering designers obsolete are growing. Moreover, progress in AI predominantly comes from computer science, often resulting in misconceptions about graphic design. In particular, when it comes to highly specialized practices like identity design, the use of AI often remains too generic and fails to reflect the diversity employed by designers in their practice, propagating the homogenization of trends in graphical artefacts. This paper aims to bridge the discourse and methodological gap between computer science and graphic design by presenting a detailed exploration of the creative process in identity design. Based on grounded theory interviews with 20 graphic designers, it identifies key phases where AI augmentation can be inserted to enhance co-creativity. We conclude by offering insights on potential new directions for hybrid research in the fields of graphic design and informatics.
Keywords
AI, co-creativity, identity design, graphic design, computer science, augmentation, design process, grounded theory, interviews
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.798
Citation
De Luca, M., and Berns, S. (2026) Mapping the identity design process for AI co-creativity: Interviews with 20 Graphic Designers, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.798
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Mapping the identity design process for AI co-creativity: Interviews with 20 Graphic Designers
With the increasing insertion of AI tools in creative work in recent years, concerns about misinterpreting creativity and rendering designers obsolete are growing. Moreover, progress in AI predominantly comes from computer science, often resulting in misconceptions about graphic design. In particular, when it comes to highly specialized practices like identity design, the use of AI often remains too generic and fails to reflect the diversity employed by designers in their practice, propagating the homogenization of trends in graphical artefacts. This paper aims to bridge the discourse and methodological gap between computer science and graphic design by presenting a detailed exploration of the creative process in identity design. Based on grounded theory interviews with 20 graphic designers, it identifies key phases where AI augmentation can be inserted to enhance co-creativity. We conclude by offering insights on potential new directions for hybrid research in the fields of graphic design and informatics.