Man x Machine x Material: exploring AI in design and wood
Above: Jarrod Lim with his Airstream table and Diffuse stools, produced in collaboration with AI and Omegas Mas.
Australian-Singaporean designer Jarrod Lim and The American Hardwood Export Council presented their latest collaboration: Man x Machine x Material at the recent Interzum SEA showcase at Iffina Indonesia Meubel & Design Expo in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Generative AI is a tool that will transform our lives – machines can process and transmit huge volumes of information at a speed far beyond the capabilities of humans. Using ChatGPT, Lim experimented with human-computer interaction with the creation of his Airstream table and Diffuse stools in American red oak.
Lim first commented on how he first had to overcome his natural resistance to working with a non-human partner. "I needed to begin the design of the AHEC booth with an open mindset, free from preconceived notions. Initially, creating a table or stools wasn't even part of the plan. I engaged the AI to research the use of timber in furniture design, aiming to integrate notable Indonesian elements. This initiated a collaborative process, where the AI contributed design ideas which I then refined with my own creative insights. The outcome was a true partnership between human intuition and AI-driven innovation."
An early AI iteration of the design collaboration process.
While the first designs for Man x Machine were aesthetically promising, they were not likely to be viable from a manufacturing perspective: "The specificity of prompts given to the AI were crucial for achieving a design that was both visually appealing and feasible to produce. As a designer, intuitive understanding guides what looks good and what will work. However, with AI, these intuitive elements needed to be articulated explicitly", said Lim of the process.
AI was able to design beautiful pieces which were too challenging when viewed from a manufacturing perspective.
"The generative AI provided generic timber suggestions but with prompts for sustainable and workable materials pointed to American red oak as a material that is easy to work and versatile. ...The AI model struggled when prompted to consider the technical aspects of production, which are second nature to a craftsperson. This highlighted to me the current limitations of the AI...", said Lim. "This highlighted to me the current limitations of the AI which I found easier to resolve using my past experience rather than further instruction. Whilst I fully appreciate the machine would maybe learn over time, communicating what I knew in a way that it could understand was too time consuming and would certainly be a problem given the usual scope of my work."
Persevering with the AI generated ideas resulted in a collection of table, stools and a screen. "The Airstream table and Diffuse stools represent a fusion of AI-generated concepts with my design language, merging contemporary aesthetics with Indonesian cultural influences. Drawing inspiration from Indonesian lattice screens and Balinese interior styles, these pieces also reflect Indonesia's shipbuilding heritage through the bent wood construction of the legs. Collaborating with the skilled craftspeople at Omega Mas brought these designs to fruition."
"While we are still in the early stages of generative AI, it's evident that this tool will become increasingly integral to the design process, similar to 3D designing years ago. Rather than replacing human design sensibilities, it serves to enhance and elevate our creative capabilities. But while it can generate eye-catching designs quickly, there is no story-telling element behind the inspiration, no designers' intuition which guides proportions and material choice. At the end of the day I have to question whether alone, it is capable of creating designs which people can fall in love with”, concluded Lim.
Images courtesy American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC)