AIX DESIGN CHALLENGE

CHALLENGE

Many homeowners struggle with decorating their homes because of a lack of space visualization, disunified and confusing stylization, and discrepancies in finding and purchasing the perfect decor for their homes. These struggles can keep buyers from purchasing items, lead to overspending, and cause disunity in the room style.

OBJECTIVE

Utilizing AI can be a powerful tool in the design process as well as the app features. Utilizing different AI tools, platforms, and elements, we are to design an app centered around such features to provide solutions for users during the interior design process. Extensive research, study, and understanding of AI is one of the key motivators of this app, and will be a valuable result to come of this project. Through this page, I will be presenting all of the areas in which AI was used during the design process and within the final product.

RESEARCH

AI INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW
ANALYSIS

SWOT ANALYSIS

I used ChatGPT as an interviewee from a prompt I gave regarding the context of the project. ChatGPT was also utilized to streamline information into an interview analysis, then into empathy maps, then finally, into five solution points that I condensed into three points for the final app approach

I utilized AI again to streamline the responses from the three in-person interviews and pull the key takeaways for an empathy map that highlighted what the interviewee “says”, “does”, “thinks”, and “feels”. From those responses, AI concluded this research into the 3 main points to focus on when solving different pain points in homeowner’s interior design experience. Below is the AI Interview empathy map:

SAYS

“The biggest struggle is visualizing how everything will come together in the space.”
“Sometimes we buy things impulsively, but they don’t fit the space or match the style.”
“Finding balance is the biggest issue—avoiding clutter or making the room feel incomplete.”
“It’s hard to narrow down to one cohesive style with so many beautiful options.”
“An app that generates tailored design styles would save so much time and effort.”
“I often use Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration when I don’t know what to buy.”

FEELS

Overwhelmed by the variety of styles and decisions involved in decorating.
Frustrated when purchases don’t work out in the space as imagined.
Excited about tools that simplify the design process and make it accessible.
Confused about proportions, layouts, and how to create a cohesive look.
Empowered when finding inspiration or guidance that simplifies decision-making.

THINKS

Visualization is key to creating a cohesive design.
Mixing different styles is tempting but can get overwhelming or messy.
Proportions, textures, and layout are critical for a well-decorated home.
Budget constraints and existing furniture complicate design choices.
Apps with personalized recommendations could bridge the gap for homeowners.

DOES

Uses Pinterest and Instagram to gather inspiration and create mood boards.
Visits stores like IKEA or Target for ideas and to see how items look in real setups.
Sometimes buys decor impulsively, leading to unused or mismatched items.
Seeks advice from friends with good design sense when stuck.
Struggles with balancing functionality and aesthetics in a space.

I developed a SWOT analysis for three different home decorating apps; Houzz, Home AI, and Redecor. AI was utilized to analyze the data found and to compress it into the main takeaways to clearly identify what areas to focus on in terms of features to add to the app. Below are the responses from ChatGPT to provide takeaways for the SWOT analysis:

1. Real-Time Visualization Tools

Problem Solved: Homeowners struggle to visualize how furniture, decor, and colors will come together in their space.
Feature Idea: Enable users to upload photos of their rooms and use augmented reality (AR) or AI to show real-time, lifelike designs. They can see how colors, furniture, and decor fit together in their actual space.
Value: This eliminates guesswork and ensures homeowners can confidently design their space.

2. Product Recommendations Linked to Real Items

Problem Solved: Homeowners often buy decor or furniture that doesn’t fit or match, resulting in wasted money.
Feature Idea: Link furniture and decor in the app to purchasable items from retailers. Provide size, color, and price details to ensure everything fits their space and budget.
Value: This simplifies the buying process and ensures users can turn their designs into reality.

3. AI-Powered Style Suggestions

Problem Solved: Many struggle to decide on a cohesive style or mix too many styles, resulting in a cluttered or mismatched look.
Feature Idea: Offer AI-generated style recommendations based on user preferences, room layout, and existing furniture. Users can take a quick style quiz or upload inspiration to generate tailored designs.
Value: Provides a virtual interior designer experience, saving time and making design decisions easier.

4. Collaborative and Social Features

Problem Solved: Homeowners often turn to Pinterest, Instagram, or friends for inspiration but lack ways to collaborate in one platform.
Feature Idea: Add features for users to share their designs, vote on others’ creations, or get inspiration from a community gallery. Include collaboration tools so users can design rooms with friends or family.
Value: Builds a creative community and helps users feel supported and inspired throughout the design process.

5. Proportions, Layouts, and Balance Guidance

Problem Solved: Many find it hard to determine if furniture fits or if a room feels balanced and cohesive.
Feature Idea: Add tools to help users calculate furniture proportions, layout arrangements, and visual balance. Include templates for room layouts and tips for mixing textures, colors, and styles effectively.
Value: Helps homeowners create polished, functional spaces without over- or under-decorating.

DEFINE

EMPATHY MAPS

SUMMARY

about

EMPATHIZE

PERSONA

USER JOURNEY MAP

SUMMARY

about

LOW FIDELITY PROTOTYPE

AI USE

For this section of the project I did not utilize AI for any portion of it. This process was fully conducted utilizing the user flow map I created as well as designing screen interface designs in Figma. This did not require AI simply because this was a task that could only be produced through the creation of my own hands and time. There were no needs in this process that AI could step in to improve, aid, or exemplify.

BENEFITS

Ai generated content and analysis is extremely helpful in the research process. It allowed for rapid content summaries and data organization. It also allowed for data creation acting as an interviewee. This was helpful to be able to clearly organize and understand the problem while creatively, effectively, and specifically providing detailed insight into the issues to direct a possible solution.

CHALLENGES

One challenge I faced was that AI, as efficient and accurate as it seems, the interview done is not from a real human that experiences the actual struggles of interior designing. This can cause somewhat of a disconnect in identifying the problem because human experience is unique and hard to recreate.

REFLECTION

I will continue to use AI because of its rapid ability to organize, pull, and condense information into variables that can be applied to the problem-solution of this app. In the future, I will utilize real primary data through human interviews so get more connected results as well as to leave room for possible experiences that AI couldn’t predict because of the complexity of the human experience. I will then use AI to organize and derive specifics from the interview data.