The Irreplaceable Designer: Human Competencies Beyond Generative Artificial Intelligence

The rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in design and architecture practice has significantly increased the speed and scale at which visual, and increasingly three-dimensional, design outcomes can be produced. GenAI tools now automate a growing range of execution-intensive tasks, including the generation of high-quality visuals from early-stage sketches, the production of layout configurations, and the rapid iteration of design alternatives. While the capabilities of GenAI are well documented, less is understood about its limitations; particularly in relation to the uniquely human competencies embedded in professional design practice. These include tacit, relational, and context-sensitive skills that are developed through experience and design practice. This study seeks to identify the designer competencies that GenAI cannot currently replicate.

An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design is employed, consisting of two phases. In Phase 1, we conducted a survey with Deans of Design and Architecture schools across Australian universities to identify and prioritise competencies considered irreplaceable in the context of GenAI. In Phase 2, we conducted convergent interviews to deepen the understanding of these competencies with Australian design practitioners who have actively integrated GenAI into their professional workflows. Participants are invited to evaluate, prioritise, and extend the identified competencies, providing practice-based validation of the initial framework.

keywords: future design competencies; generative ai; Australian designers

• with: Blair Kuys (lead), Yasemin Tekmen Araci, Dominik Fuchs
• year: April 2026 — ongoing