Abstract
Visual thinking, a foundation of design, is often framed as a reflective conversation between a designer and their medium. Recent advances in generative Artificial Intelligence and immersive technologies, such as Augmented and Virtual Reality, are profoundly reshaping this conversation. This article explores how these digital tools augment the visual design process, moving beyond traditional methods. Through a series of autoethnographic, practice-based examples, we demonstrate several key transformations, particularly: AI-driven dialogues that rapidly iterate within a visual language and translate across languages; embodied, spatial sketching in AR/VR that enables new forms of visuospatial reasoning; and novel methods for perspective-taking and collaboration in virtual spaces. By analyzing these new modes of interaction, we reveal significant opportunities, critical limitations, and the need for a critical digital-visual literacy. The article concludes by outlining future research directions and critically integrating these tools into design education and practice to augment individuals’ design thinking.
Keywords
Visual Thinking, Design Sketching, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented and Virtual Reality
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2669
Citation
Harkins, P., and Auernhammer, J.M. (2026) Visual thinking with artificial intelligence and augmented and virtual reality, 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.2026.2669
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Visual thinking with artificial intelligence and augmented and virtual reality
Visual thinking, a foundation of design, is often framed as a reflective conversation between a designer and their medium. Recent advances in generative Artificial Intelligence and immersive technologies, such as Augmented and Virtual Reality, are profoundly reshaping this conversation. This article explores how these digital tools augment the visual design process, moving beyond traditional methods. Through a series of autoethnographic, practice-based examples, we demonstrate several key transformations, particularly: AI-driven dialogues that rapidly iterate within a visual language and translate across languages; embodied, spatial sketching in AR/VR that enables new forms of visuospatial reasoning; and novel methods for perspective-taking and collaboration in virtual spaces. By analyzing these new modes of interaction, we reveal significant opportunities, critical limitations, and the need for a critical digital-visual literacy. The article concludes by outlining future research directions and critically integrating these tools into design education and practice to augment individuals’ design thinking.