Designing with AI

Our Year 10 Visual Communication Design students have been learning how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their creative projects.

In Semester 2, students used AI to help finalise their children’s chair designs. The process began with research into chairs, children's toys, and structural materials. From there, students developed initial concepts through sketches and hand-drawn ideas before refining their design using AI.

This task offered an opportunity to explore how AI can work along side the design process, while emphasising the importance of students maintaining creative control. When used thoughtfully, AI can be a powerful tool—helping students bring their creations to life.

A key lesson was that AI should support, not replace, the design process. Students used their own drawings as a foundation, applying literacy skills to describe and guide the AI toward a final product that closely reflected their original vision.

True creativity comes from original thinking, problem-solving, and personal expression—qualities AI cannot replicate on its own. By using AI as a tool rather than a shortcut, students ensured their designs remained authentically theirs.

Amy Rowley

Visual Communication Design teacher