Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Profiling Designers’ Adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Professional Design Practice

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is rapidly reshaping design practices and processes. Yet, existing research often treats designers as a uniform group, overlooking variation in attitudes and adoption behaviors. To address this gap, we conducted a mixed-methods study of 233 designers, integrating latent profile analysis with semi-structured interviews. Our findings reveal five distinct attitudinal profiles toward GenAI adoption: Hesitant Beginners, Cautious Explorers, Motivated Adopters, Enthusiastic Advocates, and Resistant Experts. These profiles reflect designers’ general orientations shaped by long-term experience and influence differing modes of collaboration with GenAI tools. Based on these insights, we propose five representative personas that include the affecting factors, current usage, barriers, and opportunities for integrating GenAI into design practices. This study advances human-centered design research by challenging one-size-fits-all assumptions and providing actionable guidance for adaptive GenAI interaction design that supports diverse user needs and promotes effective designer–AI collaboration across varied design populations.