Human-Centered Generative Design Framework: An Early Design Framework to Support Concept Creation and Evaluation

Generative design uses artificial intelligence-driven algorithms to create and optimize concept variants that meet or exceed performance requirements beyond what is currently possible using the traditional design process. However, current generative design tools lack the integration of human factors, which diminishes the efforts to understand and inject a broad set of human capabilities, limitations, and potential emotional responses for future human-centered product and service innovation. This paper demonstrates collaborative research in formulating a human-centered generative design framework that injects human factors early in the design for quick-and-dirty concept creation and evaluation. Three case studies overviewing our ongoing multidisciplinary research efforts in synthesizing human and mechanical attributes are presented. The results show that the framework has the potential to enhance human factors representation within generative design workflow. Strategies from a computational design perspective, such as data-driven generative design, digital human modeling, and mixed-reality validation, are discussed as alternative approaches that could be implemented to augment designers.