Enhancing Creativity in Sustainable Product Design: The Impact of Generative AI Tools at the Conceptual Stage

The study investigates the impact of generative artifitial intelligence (AI) tools, in particular Vizcom, on the creativity of product design students working on “green and sustainable“ projects. We focused on the concept design stage, where we conducted a controlled experiment to assess the changes in creativity metrics, such as ideation diversity and novelty, when students use AI-assisted design support. At the same time, qualitative data has been collected through participant surveys, interviews and observational analyses to gain insights into stuednts’ experiences. Preliminary results indicate a significant positive correlation between the use of generative AI tools and increased creativity in sustainable product design. The integration of Vizcom in the conceptualisation phase not only accelerated the ideation process, but also promoted innovative solutions that are in line with environmental goals. These results emphasise the potential of AI-driven tools to support students in developing innovative, environmentally conscious designs and thus advance education in the field of sustainable product design.