Hanjie HUANG

Dissertation

Supervisor: Dr. Ioannis BARDAKOS

My paper explores how the role of design tools has evolved and what this means for designers. Throughout design history, tools have consistently played a supporting role. They merely execute the designer's instructions, but generative artificial intelligence is changing this. To analyze the process by which tools transform from simple tools into facilitators, my paper introduces the concept of "subjectivity" and proposes three levels of agency: passive tools: these tools merely execute commands and do not make creative contributions; interactive systems: these systems improve the efficiency of designers but still cannot generate ideas independently; and generative AI systems: these can suggest new directions for designers and even influence the final design.