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Advancing inclusive design education

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This study investigates how undergraduate design students perceive the inclusion and exclusion of their intersecting identities (see Crenshaw, 1989) when engaging with Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) learning technologies. In higher education, fostering inclusive environments that embrace students’ diverse identities is increasingly prioritised, as reflected in the growing intersectionality-focused policies (Harpur et al., 2023) and research (Harris & Patton, 2019; Nichols & Stahl, 2019). In design education, scholars argue for integrating identities and positionalities more inclusively into students’ creative work to enrich design perspectives (Noel et al., 2023; Rittner, 2022). While GenAI offers design students new opportunities for creativity (Akbar et al., 2024), it also expose systemic inequities. For instance, access to GenAI tools often requires paid subscriptions, which limits access for student from underserved backgrounds. Furthermore, the GenAI technologies have inherent cultural biases that marginalise non-Western perspectives and restrict the diversity of creative outputs (Nyaaba et al., 2024). Using a case study approach, this research examines how undergraduate students’ intersecting identities influence their interactions with GenAI when learning AI-powered design process in higher education. Observations revealed that students faced challenges when translating their intersecting identities through the English-centric GenAI tool, often reducing cultural nuances to stereotypical representations. Students’ reflective discussions provided further insights into the barriers encountered and strategies employed to navigate their challenges. By examining the challenges and opportunities presented by GenAI, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how GenAI learning technologies might promote or impede inclusive design education, providing educators with practical insights.

keywords: inclusive design education; generative AI; intersectionality