AI-led design innovation: understanding design-centric AI methods and assistance types

With recent advancements in data-driven methods, there has been a growing interest in implementing AI in design. Despite this, a comprehensive understanding of the critical AI methods in design and how they support design practices remains lacking. To deepen our understanding, we conduct a comprehensive literature review and propose a novel, design-centric AI typology, associated with six AI assistance types for product service development. Our typology differs from traditional ones by shifting the focus from an algorithmic perspective to how models support design practice. Key findings highlight how these six design-centric AI methods support design practices in different ways, each with its own application challenges. Establishing a shared design-centric AI typology and assistance framework will enhance the understanding of how AI works differently and supports practitioners.