The augment designer: a conceptual pedagogical framework for integrating generative AI into design education
Pusnik, Nace (2026) The augment designer: a conceptual pedagogical framework for integrating generative AI into design education. Journal of graphic engineering and design. ISSN 2217-379X
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The rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping design practice and raising important questions for design education. Rather than framing AI as either a threat to creativity or a technological solution, this paper proposes the Augment Designer, a conceptual pedagogical framework for integrating AI into design learning. Informed by the implementation of the Digital Design Skills (DDS) module and drawing on the structure of the DDS Handbook (2025), the framework outlines a staged approach that combines AI-assisted exploration, technical refinement through professional design tools, and critical reflection. The framework encourages students to engage with questions of authorship, originality, aesthetic bias, intellectual property, creative labour, and sustainability while developing digital design competencies. By positioning AI as an augmentative partner within a structured learning process, the Augment Designer seeks to support the development of critically engaged, reflective, and ethically aware design practitioners. As a preliminary conceptual contribution, the framework provides a foundation for future pedagogical implementation and empirical evaluation in AI-integrated design education.
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