Exploring the positive potential of AI part III: CannonDesign researchers explore if GenAI levels the creative playing field
July 23, 2026
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The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into design workflows is fundamentally reshaping concept development and challenging long-held assumptions about creative expertise.
At the EDRA57 conference, CannonDesign researchers presented a compelling new study: "Mind the Gap? A Study of Whether Using Generative AI Bridges Creativity Differences Amongst Professionals in the Design Industry."
Presented by design research consultant Cameron Contreras and co-authored by Research Director Felix Kabo, Ph.D., M.Arch., M.S., the study investigated a pivotal question:
Do GenAI tools democratize creativity, or do they simply reinforce existing disparities between trained designers and other professionals?
The experiment: 15 minutes to concept
Building on previous research involving design students, this study shifted the focus to professionals within the architecture, engineering and consulting industries. The research team gathered a diverse group of participants — both design and non-design professionals — and provided them with a brief tutorial on Adobe Firefly, an image-based GenAI tool.
Participants were then tasked with a high-pressure challenge: produce a complete interior concept design in just 15 minutes.
Surprising findings: A level playing field?
To measure the results, a panel of design experts evaluated the outputs using an adapted version of the Creative Product Semantic Scale (CPSS). The findings revealed a surprising trend: there were no significant differences in creativity scores across professional roles, years of tenure, or prior familiarity with AI.
These results suggest two possible futures for the industry:
Democratized ideation: GenAI may act as a powerful equalizer, leveling the playing field in early-stage design ideation and allowing non-designers to contribute high-level creative concepts.
Tool limitations: Alternatively, the lack of variance could suggest that current GenAI tools are not yet specialized enough to facilitate the deep, nuanced brainstorming required for professional-grade concept design.
Implications for the future of practice
The study’s findings have immediate implications for how we think about team composition and the evolving role of human expertise. As AI-mediated design processes become the norm, the value of a "designer" may shift from the ability to generate a single image to the ability to curate, refine and direct complex AI-driven workflows.
At CannonDesign, this research is part of our broader commitment to Living-Centered Design, ensuring that as we adopt new technologies, we remain focused on how they enhance human performance and collective impact.
