Rethinking design roles: a study on designer and user perceptions during human-AI co-creation

Generative artificial intelligence has emerged as a transformative force in the design domain, expanding the boundaries of creativity and enabling broader participation from diverse stakeholder groups. This study examines the impact of introducing generative AI tools into the conceptual design phase, with particular attention to shifts in role positioning and perception among professional designers and non-professional users. Using a co-creation design workshop that involved 18 participants, the research investigates how AI integration reshapes workflows and creative practices. Thematic analysis of interview data indicates that generative AI substantially accelerates the conceptual stage by rapidly producing a wide range of inspirational inputs. As a result, designers’ roles shift away from direct manual execution toward activities such as constraint formulation, output curation, and responsibility-bearing decision-making, highlighting an ongoing negotiation of control and calibrated trust in AI-generated results. In contrast, non-professional participants report enhanced autonomy and increased transparency of trial-and-error processes, transitioning from passive requirement providers to active exploratory co-creators capable of producing preliminary design concepts. Nevertheless, their influence remains conditional and bounded, as they frequently seek professional guidance at critical or high-risk decision points. Building on these findings, this study offers a mechanistic interpretation and a role-boundary framework for human-AI co-creation in the conceptual design phase, providing practical insights for the development of generative design tools and process-support strategies tailored to diverse user groups.