Exploring User Preferences in Al-Generated Car Wheel Frame Designs: A Preliminary Study of Users with Varied Design Experience

This study explores the application of AI in a specific product design field and investigates the differences between individuals with professional and non-professional backgrounds. Using wheel rim design as an example, the study illustrates the preferences and perceptual differences of participants with varying backgrounds and experiences towards elements like style, color, layout, and design, as presented by AI image generation tools (such as Midjourney). The choices are categorized into two aspects: creativity and feasibility. In this experiment, participants were divided into wheel rim experts and non-experts (with non-experts further categorized into those with and without design experience). Non-expert participants were first asked to create designs using AI, followed by both experts and non-experts selecting proposals for creative and feasible sporty and luxurious style car wheel rims. The study found that individuals without design experience tended to show more creativity in their ideas when using AI tools, but their targeted selections lacked consistency. In contrast, participants with a design background were more consistent in their choices, particularly in the assessment of feasibility. There is a noticeable difference between experts and non-experts in defining style, with experts making more informed choices when targeting specific selections. In summary, both experts and non-experts are capable of creating designs with creativity and feasibility using AI tools. However, experts, compared to those with design experience, have a clearer personal opinion on styling, while those without design experience show the least effective outcomes.