Abstract
Against the backdrop of rapid industrialization, urbanization, and shifting consumer preferences, traditional rural handicrafts in China are undergoing a profound crisis of value. Although design interventions and digital integration have brought new opportunities to rural handicrafts, their sustainable revitalization still faces fundamental challenges. This study employs a first-principles analytical approach to deconstruct these challenges into two core dimensions: perceived value (aesthetic, emotional, and utilitarian) and production factors (labor, capital, and technology). Using the feather painting craft of Sheng shi ying Village in Yanqing District, Beijing, as a case study, we conducted an empowerment experiment that integrates Generative Artificial Intelligence (AIGC) and design innovation into rural handicraft practice. The findings indicate that the synergy between AIGC and design innovation not only significantly shortens the design and production cycle of handicraft products and improves production efficiency, but also reconstructs perceived value by enhancing contemporary aesthetic expression, emotional resonance, and practical utility. This effectively addresses the value misalignment and resource constraints faced by rural handicrafts. Furthermore, the study proposes a systematic and transferable “AIGC +” Design dual-path model, providing methodological support for leveraging artificial intelligence and design innovation to facilitate rural value reconstruction and production efficiency improvement, and offering valuable insights for designers, policymakers, and rural communities engaged in sustainable transformation.
Keywords
AIGC and design empowerment; Rural handicrafts; Perceived value reconstruction; Production-factor reconfiguration
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.725
Citation
Liu, M., You, L.,and Liu, Q.(2025) AIGC+ Design Empowerment for Value Reconstruction and Production-Factor Reconfiguration in Rural Handicrafts: The Case of "Prosperous Yongning, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.725
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 11 - Culture and Craft Design for Regenerative Practices
AIGC+ Design Empowerment for Value Reconstruction and Production-Factor Reconfiguration in Rural Handicrafts: The Case of "Prosperous Yongning
Against the backdrop of rapid industrialization, urbanization, and shifting consumer preferences, traditional rural handicrafts in China are undergoing a profound crisis of value. Although design interventions and digital integration have brought new opportunities to rural handicrafts, their sustainable revitalization still faces fundamental challenges. This study employs a first-principles analytical approach to deconstruct these challenges into two core dimensions: perceived value (aesthetic, emotional, and utilitarian) and production factors (labor, capital, and technology). Using the feather painting craft of Sheng shi ying Village in Yanqing District, Beijing, as a case study, we conducted an empowerment experiment that integrates Generative Artificial Intelligence (AIGC) and design innovation into rural handicraft practice. The findings indicate that the synergy between AIGC and design innovation not only significantly shortens the design and production cycle of handicraft products and improves production efficiency, but also reconstructs perceived value by enhancing contemporary aesthetic expression, emotional resonance, and practical utility. This effectively addresses the value misalignment and resource constraints faced by rural handicrafts. Furthermore, the study proposes a systematic and transferable “AIGC +” Design dual-path model, providing methodological support for leveraging artificial intelligence and design innovation to facilitate rural value reconstruction and production efficiency improvement, and offering valuable insights for designers, policymakers, and rural communities engaged in sustainable transformation.