Designing for AI : A collaborative framework to bridge the gap between designers and data scientists, and enabling designers to create human-centered AI products and services

Abstract: Emerging advances in the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) have had a tremendous impact on various fields around us and society as a whole. As technologies continue to evolve, so will the role of designers when it comes to using AI. It has the potential to be the next tool designers use to create human-centered products and services. To truly understand AI and harness its capabilities, it is crucial to demystify the term and its inner workings. This thesis is explorative research to shed light on collaborative intelligence and how designers can harness the capabilities of AI. It further explores how to integrate the principles of design and AI to create AI-driven products and services. In addition to background research conducted on both design and AI, the importance of both these fields’ intersection was also researched upon. The project followed the Double Diamond design process principles, consisting of four phases: discover, define, develop, and deliver. This process was then used again to design a framework that bridges the gap between AI & design principles. This research aimed to explore how designers could use AI to develop new products and services. The project resulted in a framework that guides designers on how to get acclimated to AI and uses a specific set of principles to design for AI. It contains concepts necessary to understand the different aspects of AI and aims to build a common language amongst all AI practitioners. The framework also serves as a basic outline of a workshop that provides various design methods that AI practitioners can use to ideate AI-driven solutions.