Exploring AI as a Creative Collaborator : Designing Playfulness Through Lighting

Sammanfattning

This thesis investigates how Artificial Intelligence can collaborate across the entire product development process, using the case of playfulness through lighting as the design context. The project follows the development of a playful table lamp from early research to the final product, comparing traditional methods with AI-assisted approaches to understand where AI adds value and where human expertise remains essential. AI proved especially effective during the research phase, helping synthesise literature, analyse interviews and connect theoretical frameworks on play. In ideation, AI worked best when guided - expanding ideas, analysing concepts and producing rapid visual variations. During development, prototyping and refinement, tools such as Adam supported quick form exploration, while traditional CAD, material tests and hands-on making were crucial for accuracy and real-world feasibility. The final lamp embodies playfulness through interaction and movement, but more importantly, the research shows that AI is most powerful when treated as a collaborator rather than a replacement. AI accelerates exploration, enhances efficiency and broadens perspective, while the designer contributes intuition, spatial sensitivity and material understanding. Together, they form a hybrid workflow that offers a promising direction for future design practice.