“Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence on Creative Originality and Design Thinking among Graphic Design Students”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/0p0tya49Keywords:
generative artificial intelligence, creative originality, design thinking, expanded creativity, graphic design, higher education.Abstract
The incorporation of generative artificial intelligence into higher education is transforming visual creation processes and graphic design instruction, creating opportunities to enhance ideation while also presenting challenges regarding operational dependency and creative originality. This study aimed to experimentally analyze the impact of generative AI on creative originality and design thinking among university graphic design students; the findings are interpreted conceptually rather than statistically within the framework of human-AI expanded creativity. A mixed-methods study with a sequential explanatory quasi-experimental design was conducted using a sample of 96 students divided into a control group and an experimental group. Data were collected via pre-tests, post-tests, analytical rubrics assessed by two external judges, and focus groups, and were analyzed using ANOVA, Spearman correlation, and thematic analysis; the study does not include structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrated significant improvements in creative originality and design thinking within the experimental group findings consistent with the interpretive role attributed to human AI expanded creativity. The study concludes that artificial intelligence serves as a pedagogical resource that boosts creative processes when integrated through strategies centered on critical thinking and collaborative interaction between students and intelligent systems.
Downloads
References
1. Buchanan, R. (1992). Wicked problems in design thinking. Design Issues, 8(2), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.2307/1511637
2. Cevallos Córdova, N. A., & Luna Aro, I. S. (2024). El impacto de las tecnologías avanzadas en el diseño gráfico, desde la inteligencia artificial hasta la realidad aumentada: revisión sistematizada de literatura. Diseño Arte y Arquitectura, (17), 233–254. https://doi.org/10.33324/daya.vi17.862
3. Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
4. Cross, N. (1982). Designerly ways of knowing. Design Studies, 3(4), 221–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/0142-694X(82)90040-0
5. Cukurova, M. (2025). The interplay of learning, analytics and artificial intelligence in education: A vision for hybrid intelligence. British Journal of Educational Technology, 56(2), 469–488. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13514
6. Daquilema Chorlango, W. P., Mejía Vasco, A. F., & Salazar Abad, H. D. (2025). El uso de la inteligencia artificial y su influencia en el pensamiento creativo de los estudiantes de diseño gráfico de Latacunga. Conectividad, 6(4), 46–66. https://doi.org/10.37431/conectividad.v6i4.358
7. Habib, S., Vogel, T., Xiao, A., & Thorne, E. (2024). How does generative artificial intelligence impact student creativity? Journal of Creativity, 34(1), 100072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yjoc.2023.100072
8. Lee, B. C., & Chung, J. (2024). An empirical investigation of the impact of ChatGPT on creativity. Nature Human Behaviour, 8(10), 1906–1914. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01953-1
9. Molenaar, I. (2022). Towards hybrid human–AI learning technologies. European Journal of Education, 57(4), 632–645. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12527
10. OECD. (2026). OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026: Exploring Effective Uses of Generative AI in Education. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/062a7394-en
11. Runco, M. A., & Jaeger, G. J. (2012). The standard definition of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 92–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.650092
12. Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.
13. Soto Ayala, M. F. (2025). Impacto ético y creativo de la inteligencia artificial generativa en la formación en diseño gráfico. LATAM Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, 6(3), 2854–2867. https://doi.org/10.56712/latam.v6i3.4163
14. Toma, R. B., & Yánez-Pérez, I. (2024). Effects of ChatGPT use on undergraduate students’ creativity: A threat to creative thinking? Discover Artificial Intelligence, 4(74), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-024-00172-x
15. UNESCO. (2023). Guidance for generative AI in education and research. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000386693
16. Urban, M., Děchtěrenko, F., Lukavský, J., Hrabalová, V., Svacha, F., Brom, C., & Urban, K. (2024). ChatGPT improves creative problem-solving performance in university students: An experimental study. Computers & Education, 215, Article 105031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2024.105031
17. Yan, L., Greiff, S., Teuber, Z., & Gašević, D. (2024). Promises and challenges of generative artificial intelligence for human learning. Nature Human Behaviour, 8(10), 1839–1850. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-02004-5
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jorge Fernando Estrella Maya , Víctor Patricio Morejón Hidalgo , Patricio Fernando Alarcón Larrea , Viviana Elizabeth Cajas Cajas , Pablo Xavier Rosas Chavez (Autor/a)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.








