CONFERENCES
E&PDE 2026 - 28th International Conference on Engineering & Product Design Education
The Conference will bring together representatives from education and industry interested in sharing new perspectives on design education.
Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
RETHINKING DESIGN EDUCATION IN AN AI-ENABLED ERA: A COLLABORATIVE AUTOETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH
Tekmen Araci, Yasemin; Ranscombe, Charlie; Tan, Linus; Zhang, Wendy
Type:
Year:
2026
Editor:
Buck, Lyndon; Brisco. Ross; Bohemia, Erik
Author:
Series:
E&PDE
Institution:
Swinburne University of Technology, Australia; University of Canterbury
Page(s):
167 - 172
DOI number:
ISBN:
978-1-912254-24-8
ISSN:
3005-4753
Abstract:
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming design practice, challenging educators to reconsider how design processes are taught and how future designers will work with emerging technologies. This paper presents an ongoing collaborative autoethnographic study undertaken by design academics at an Australian and a New Zealand University to examine how Generative AI (GenAI) is influencing the teaching of early-stage design processes, particularly discovery, problem framing, ideation, and early visualisation. Through a structured reflection framework, participants analyse their own teaching practices to identify opportunities, risks, and pedagogical priorities related to GenAI integration. Individual reflections are shared and collectively interpreted using Collaborative Autoethnography, enabling educators to co-construct insight grounded in studio practice. Reflexive Thematic Analysis guides the development of three pedagogical lenses, experiential learning, iterative problem solving, and critical reflection, through which educators’ responses to GenAI adoption are interpreted. Rather than treating GenAI as a technical skill to be added to existing curricula, the study positions AI integration within the established foundations of studio-based pedagogy. The findings reveal a tension between professional efficiency and pedagogical intention, highlighting both the potential of GenAI to expand exploratory practices and the risks of premature convergence, fixation, and reduced engagement with foundational design thinking processes. The paper contributes insight into how design education can evolve to integrate GenAI while maintaining core commitments to iteration, reflection, and designer agency.
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