AIDEA

09/10/2026

AIDEA Transnational Project Meeting in Graz, Austria | 5 - 6 October 2026

We had two productive days in Graz for the second AIDEA Transnational Project Meeting, hosted by Know-Center!

During the meeting, project partners reviewed the progress of the project and key outcomes of WP2 - Mapping and Trends, discussing milestones, research findings and next steps.
The second day focused on WP3 - From Manifesto to Teaching Tools, with collaborative workshops dedicated to shaping the AIDEA Manifesto and defining the structure of the Handbook of Teaching Tools and Methodologies.

We also discussed communication and dissemination activities and reflected on project quality, progress and upcoming priorities.

A big thank you to Know-Center for hosting us and to all partners for their valuable contributions and continued collaboration!

05/10/2026

Faculty of Design presents findings from Slovenia’s AIDEA focus groups

At the workshop The Strategic Value of Design Rights: Turning Protected Design into Competitiveness and Growth, held at the Faculty of Design on 21 September 2026 in cooperation with EUIPO and BEDA, Asst. Prof. Aleš Lipnik, PhD, presented the findings of the Slovenian national report of the AIDEA project – Artificial Intelligence for a New Design Education Approach. His presentation, Design, AI and Intellectual Property: Who Creates the Future?, drew on focus group discussions with students, higher education teachers, and representatives of companies and organisations.

The findings show that all three groups see opportunities for AI to support the design process, particularly in exploring different possibilities and developing ideas. At the same time, each group emphasised different concerns: students reflected on the impact on their own creativity; teachers stressed the importance of preserving independent and critical thinking; and professional practitioners focused on the reliability of AI outputs, responsibility and the protection of intellectual property. They shared the view that producing content more quickly does not, in itself, lead to better design.

The findings of the national report will be incorporated into a joint report bringing together the work of all project partners and will provide an important basis for the further development of design education. For young designers entering the labour market, learning to use new tools must go hand in hand with developing creative judgement, ethical responsibility, and an understanding of authorship and intellectual property rights.

Learn more about the project: https://aideaproject.com/

23/09/2026

📢 Discover How Design Companies Across Europe Are Using AI! 🎨🤖

As part of Work Package 2 (Trend Analysis) in the AIDEA Project, our main objective is to map out current design practice trends to bridge the gap between higher education and the evolving needs of the design industry. We are thrilled to present Deliverable D.2.2: Map of Design Companies and Agencies, now live!

📍✨ 💡 What did we discover?
• 📊 Wide, but shallow adoption: 60% of design companies use AI in their workflows, but mostly for early research, initial ideation, or final marketing—leaving core physical prototyping human-centric.
• 🤖 General tools lead: Over 60% of tool usage centers around general AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini.
• 🎓 Future skills: Companies are looking for graduates skilled in prompt engineering, workflow integration, and critical evaluation of AI outputs!

🌐 Explore the Interactive Map!
Visit our website to view 71 featured European design agencies, see where they are located, and download the complete report!

09/09/2026

Exploring the Future of AI in Design Education 🎨🤖

We are thrilled to announce the release of Deliverable D.2.1: Desk research & State of the art report for the AIDEA (Artificial Intelligence for a New Design Education Approach) project, co-funded by the European Union!
The AIDEA project is on a mission to reshape creative education by balancing technological innovation with human-centered values. Our framework brings together Three Intelligences:
• 🤖 Artificial Intelligence: Enhancing creativity through generative tools and multi-agent systems.
• ✋ Intelligence of the Hand: Keeping physical craft, material knowledge, and tactile prototyping alive.
• 🤝 Social Intelligence: Guiding ethical responsibility, legal literacy, cultural authenticity, and inclusivity.

🔍 What’s inside Deliverable D.2.1?
Based on over 70 scientific publications, industry studies, and EU policy documents, this comprehensive report highlights:
✨ The emergence of the "Hybrid Artisan" and the designer's shift to strategic curator.
🌱 How AI drives sustainable design, circular workflows, and EU regulatory compliance (like ESPR).
⚖️ Practical ways to tackle algorithmic bias, copyright challenges, and tech-related anxiety in students.
📚 Best practices for teaching prompt literacy and inclusive design methodologies. This foundational report sets the stage for our upcoming Manifesto for Collective AI Design and Handbook of Teaching Tools.

👉 Want to dive into the full findings? Head over to our website and download your copy today! 🔗 www.aideaproject.com

AIDEA is modernising design education by integrating AI into curricula to enhance creativity, problem-solving and interdisciplinary collaboration, and to enable students to harness the transformative potential of AI in an ethical manner.

03/09/2026

𝗔𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗔 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗘𝗗𝗔 × 𝗘𝗨𝗜𝗣𝗢 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀-𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽

We are pleased to share that the **AIDEA project will be part of the programme of the BEDA & EUIPO Joint Hands-on Workshop**, hosted by the Faculty of Design in Ljubljana on **21 September 2026**.

Within the session **“Design, AI and Intellectual Property: Who Creates the Future?”**, AIDEA will contribute to the discussion on some of the most relevant questions shaping contemporary design practice:

● Who is the author when AI becomes part of the creative process?
■ How does ownership change?
▲ What does this mean for designers, educators and creative professionals?

The workshop, organised by **BEDA – The Bureau of European Design Associations** and **EUIPO – European Union Intellectual Property Office**, will bring together experts, designers, businesses, educators and students to explore the strategic value of design rights, new European approaches to design protection, and the growing intersection between **design, AI and intellectual property**.

AIDEA’s contribution will focus on the changing role of artificial intelligence in creative processes and the new questions it raises around **authorship, ownership, responsibility and the future of design practice**.

● Faculty of Design, Ljubljana
■ 21 September 2026 | 9:30–12:00
▲ The event will be held in English.
● Participation is free of charge.

Registration is required due to limited capacity and organisational planning.

■ Registration: https://forms.gle/F8AHjDKyrD5oQC6P7

We look forward to contributing to this timely discussion and to exchanging perspectives with BEDA - The Bureau of European Design Associations,EUIPO and the wider European design community.

If you're in Ljubljana on 21 September, join us! See you there! 🧡

31/07/2026

🤖What should AI-ready design education look like?

The AIDEA Project's desk-based research shows that teaching AI isn't just about learning new tools. Students need technical skills, ethical awareness and strong critical thinking.

Key findings:
📌 Prompt literacy is becoming a core design skill.
📌 Students should learn to evaluate, refine and challenge AI outputs.
📌 Human review remains essential for ethics, culture and material understanding.
📌 AI-assisted projects should be assessed across six dimensions:
• Design
• Technology
• Society
• Economy
• Environment
• Ethics
📌Physical making and prototyping should remain part of every design curriculum.

💡 AIDEA Project takeaway: AI should enhance creativity, not replace the hands-on skills and human judgement that make great design possible.
To learn more about the AIDEA Project please visit: https://aideaproject.com

27/07/2026

🤖AI offers enormous opportunities-but also important challenges.

The AIDEA Project State of the Art report stresses that successful AI adoption requires balancing innovation with responsibility.

Key benefits:
✔️Faster ideation and prototyping
✔️Automated design workflows
✔️Improved sustainability outcomes
✔️Enhanced feedback and learning opportunities

Key risks:
❌ Bias and stereotypes embedded in AI outputs
❌ Uncertainty around copyright and ownership
❌Reduced creativity through design fixation
❌Anxiety, overreliance and technological dependency

The Three-Check Rule:
1. Check for bias
2. Check legal and ethical implications
3. Apply human judgement

💡AIDEA takeaway: Generation does not equal validity. Every AI output requires critical human review.

To learn more about the AIDEA project, please visit: https://aideaproject.com

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21/07/2026

🤖Can AI help create a more sustainable future?

The AIDEA Project desk- based research says yes. Beyond generating ideas, AI is becoming a powerful tool for reducing waste, improving material choices, and supporting circular design practices.

Key findings:
🎯 AI-assisted furniture design can reduce waste by up to 30% and extend product lifecycles by 25%.
🎯AI can predict environmental impact before production begins, helping designers make smarter choices.
🎯 Applications include material optimisation, textile recycling, upcycling and heritage preservation.
🎯 Designers must increasingly consider EU sustainability requirements such as durability, repairability and modularity.

💡AIDEA takeaway: Sustainability should be built into the design process from the start, with AI helping designers measure, optimise, reuse and preserve.

To learn more about the AIDEA Project please visit: https://aideaproject.com

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14/07/2026

🤖 How is AI changing the role of designers?

The AIDEA Project State of the Art Report highlights a major shift taking place across creative industries. Rather than replacing designers, AI is transforming their role from manual creators to strategic curators and decision-makers.

Key findings:
🎯 Designers are increasingly acting as AI orchestrators rather than solely producing work manually.
🎯 The emerging "Hybrid Artisan" model combines AI efficiency with human creativity and cultural expertise.
🎯 AI can reduce design time by 30–70% while maintaining high levels of cultural authenticity.
🎯 Human judgement, creativity and craftsmanship remain essential.

💡AIDEA takeaway: The future belongs to designers who can direct AI effectively while preserving human insight, creativity and craft.

To learn more about the AIDEA Project, please visit: https://aideaproject.com

13/07/2026

🤖 AI is transforming design education - but not by replacing human creativity.

This infographic highlights the key findings of the AIDEA Project State of the Art Report. Findings from more than 70 scientific publications, industry analyses and EU policy documents were synthesised to gather insights for our AIDEA Project activities, including the Manifesto for Collective AI Design and the Handbook of Teaching Tools.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll take a closer look at some of the key takeaways and how AI is affecting design practices.

To learn more about the AIDEA Project, please visit: https://aideaproject.com