The Potential of Artificial Intelligence Tools in the First-Year Design Studio

Abstract

While numerous studies address the use of artificial intelligence in design studios at different levels, research focusing specifically on the relationship between AI and the first-year design studio remains limited in both scope and number. Therefore, this article approaches the subject at the scale of the first-year design studio and aims to discuss the potential of integrating AI tools into studio environments by comparing the responses of two different AI platforms to identical prompts. Grounded in a case study methodology, the research employs student responses to a first-year design studio problem as prompts, which are then submitted to ChatGPT and MidJourney for analysis and comparison. The findings of the research reveal that in first-year design studios, analytical projects based on analysis and inference, progressing from two dimensions to three, can be supported with ChatGPT, whereas projects requiring fictional space design, atmosphere creation, and horizon-expanding ideas can be supported with Midjourney.