Special issue on Design and Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Introduction: 

Artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the landscape of design education—transforming how design is taught, learned, practiced, and theorized. From AI-assisted ideation tools in the studio classroom to intelligent tutoring systems and generative models that challenge longstanding notions of authorship and creativity, the intersection of AI, design, and education raises urgent but productive questions for researchers, educators, and practitioners alike.

This special issue of Design and Artificial Intelligence (DAAI) invites original contributions that examine, critique, and advance the relationship between AI and design education across disciplines, including industrial design, graphic design, architecture, interaction design, design thinking, and adjacent creative fields.

Topics covered:

• AI tools and generative technologies in design pedagogy and studio practice
• Curriculum development and competency frameworks for AI-literate designers
• Critical and ethical perspectives on AI integration in design education
• Learning analytics and empirical evidence: studies using process logs, artifact traces, controlled or field evaluations, and comparative baselines (before/after, with/without AI, different tool strategies)
• Human–AI collaboration in student learning and design processes
• Assessment, feedback, and evaluation in AI-augmented design courses
• Design education for and about responsible AI development
• Cross-disciplinary and project-based approaches to teaching design and AI
• Equity, access, and inclusion in AI-enabled design learning environments
• Theoretical frameworks for understanding AI's role in design knowledge and creativity
• Institutional and policy dimensions of AI adoption in design schools
• New challenges posed by genAI tools or design in general and design education in particular

Important Deadlines:

Submission deadline: 1 August 2026

Submission Instructions: 

Please read the [Guide for Authors] before submitting. All articles should be [submitted online], please select [SI: Design Education] on submission.

Guest Editors:

• Prof. Xi Lv, Professor, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, China. Email: lucy@scfai.edu.cn
• Prof. Anca Horvath, Assistant Professor, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), China. Email: ancahorvath@hkust-gz.edu.cn