weekly ai & design roundup #1
Exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping design—through creativity, empathy, and productivity.
This week, we’re looking at AI’s impact on design from three distinct and surprising angles:
A psychologist urges us to keep humanity at the center of AI design.
A design pioneer reframes AI as a utopian tool for creativity.
An architecture firm embraces AI to dramatically reduce design time and cost.
1. Designing AI with Empathy
Synopsys: This article dives into the importance of emotional intelligence in AI interactions.
Whether it’s the way ChatGPT offers gentle suggestions (“This feels more appropriate, what do you think?”), or Spotify playlists that feel personally curated, we’re seeing early signs of emotionally aware AI.
Why it matters: Designers must consider not just function and form—but also the emotional context of how people experience AI. The “end user” is a human being with nuance, not just a data point.
Source: Psychology Today
2. Ross Lovegrove: AI as a Creative Ally
Synopsys: Renowned designer Ross Lovegrove sees AI as an extension of the designer’s creative process. “Instead of moaning about the impact of AI, it’s better to get on the horse and ride it... AI is complementary, like having a conversation with a very intelligent friend.”
Why it matters: This optimistic view positions AI not as a threat, but as a catalyst for deeper, faster, more exploratory thinking in design.
Source: Wallpaper*
3. An Architecture Firm Built Around AI
Synopsis: Cove Tool, now also operating as Cove Architecture, uses its own proprietary AI system to handle almost every aspect of the design and documentation process. The result? In some cases, a 60% reduction in time and cost.
Why it matters: This isn't theoretical—it's happening now. Firms that strategically implement AI can move faster, spend less, and potentially free up more time for creative problem solving.
Source: Multi-Housing News
Final Thought
Each of these perspectives—psychological, creative, and operational—reminds us that AI’s impact isn’t just about automation. It’s about rethinking how we ask questions, imagine possibilities, and design experiences.
Ideas = A curious designers thoughts + AI
It all begins with an idea.
Since starting my own practice, I’ve had the chance to connect with some amazing people—clients, collaborators, and peers—all deeply thinking about the future. And again and again, one topic kept coming up: “AI.” What it means for creativity, for efficiency, for jobs, and for the profession as a whole. Most importantly, what it means for how we continue designing with purpose.
That conversation led me to dive into the current state of AI in the AEC industry. I scoured blogs, podcasts, and the web in general and what I found was a huge amount of information—some insightful, much overwhelming—and most of it centered around one clear message:
“AI will change how we all work.”
But that message often sparked fear without offering much clarity for the AEC industry specifically. This only made me more curious to dig deeper, find reliable information, and figure out a way to share it with other design/development professionals also seeking to understand this topic better for our profession.
I’ve always been fascinated by technology. As a kid, I was the one taking apart the family computer, fixing friends’ phones, and tuning into tech radio shows like Leo Laporte’s “Tech Guy Labs”. That curiosity never left me — and it’s part of what drew me to design.
As I’ve learned more about AI, I’ve come to see it not as a threat, but as a tool — one that can support our work, spark creativity, reduce costs, and most importantly, give us more time to focus on what we love: design.
That’s why I’m launching this series.
Each week, I’ll share a quick roundup of AI-related articles focused on architecture, design, and development. My goal is to highlight how AI might support rather than replace us.
Some stories will challenge our thinking. Others will inspire. But all of them will help us navigate the fast-evolving conversation about AI’s role in shaping the cities, spaces, and systems of tomorrow.
The more I explore, the more excited I am — not just about what AI can do, but what it can help us do better. The future we build can be more sustainable, creative, equitable, and human-centered, and I believe AI can be there to help us make that happen.
I look forward to sharing that journey with you.
—Steve