This research explores the potential of integrating ceramics into furniture design and production by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) tools within a hybrid design approach that combines traditional craftsmanship with digital innovation in a unified framework. It is situated within the broader transformation of interior and furniture design under the impact of rapid digital developments and text‑to‑image generative AI models, while ceramic crafts continue to embody aesthetic and cultural values that reflect local identity and collective memory. In this context, there is a growing need for design models that harness the capabilities of AI without undermining the human, craft‑based dimension of making or diluting the cultural content of craft practices.

The study aims to examine the impact of employing AI tools—particularly text‑to‑image generative models—on the development of innovative design solutions in the field of furniture design, and to analyze the role of ceramic elements in enhancing the aesthetic, expressive, and symbolic value of contemporary products. It also seeks to propose an applied framework that demonstrates the feasibility of this integration at both the formal and functional levels, drawing on a theoretical perspective that understands “hybrid design” as a process in which algorithmic generation is critically mediated by the designer–craftsperson’s selection, modification, and reinterpretation.

A descriptive–analytical methodology supported by an applied experiment was adopted. Three design approaches for a single furniture piece (a dining table) were developed: the first relied on human, craft‑based design with 3D software used solely as a representational tool; the second was generated exclusively through AI tools; and the third combined both approaches by refining and elaborating AI‑generated proposals through manual intervention within a design concept grounded in Palestinian visual identity. The resulting designs were analyzed and compared according to predefined aesthetic and functional criteria, including authenticity of cultural expression, clarity and coherence of visual identity, and suitability for use in terms of dimensions and structural stability.

The findings indicate that integrating AI tools and manual craftsmanship achieves a more balanced relationship between technical precision and human creativity, and provides broader design possibilities that enhance the presence of craftsmanship and support its continuity within a contemporary design context driven by digital innovation. The results further suggest that employing AI as an initial generative phase, followed by informed craft‑based development, constitutes a more effective design pathway than relying on either approach alone, both in terms of sustaining cultural authenticity and expanding the scope of innovation in ceramic furniture design.

Keywords: Ceramics; Artificial intelligence; Traditional crafts; Furniture design; Digital innovation.

Title

مجلة الفن و التصميم

Publisher

المؤسسة الدولية للثقافة والفنون

Publisher Country

Egypt

Publication Type

Prtinted only

Volume

5

Year

2027

Pages

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