As someone who has constantly advocated for the use of AI in the design space, 4SPACE Design’s co-founder and design director Firas Alsahin and his team have remained at the forefront of incorporating AI into their creative processes.
The company has embraced AI as a powerfully disruptive technology that has dramatically replaced the need for manual ‘inspiration tasks’. Alsahin believes that the technology significantly enhances their ability to deliver personalised and innovative design solutions. In conversation with CID, he reveals how 4SPACE is harnessing AI to transform interior spaces by enhancing visualisation capabilities and design directions for its projects that enable the firm to stay ahead of the curve.
Creativity and client relationships
Integrating AI technology into his design process, Alsahin leverages AI as a tool for inspiration, creating design directions, and mood boards. “This approach enables a unique chemistry with clients, bypassing traditional methods like sifting through Pinterest images or emulating other designers’ projects. By inputting specific design criteria into AI, the team can generate visuals that closely align with the client’s vision, fostering a more personalised and innovative design process,” he reveals.
The firm utilised AI in its work on IDA Bakery, where the technology was pivotal in the conceptual phase, allowing for the efficient visualisation and refinement of their design direction. The team input detailed descriptions of their vision, including structural elements, colour palettes, and material preferences, into their AI tools which helped them swiftly iterate on design concepts and make informed decisions that aligned with their creative vision and the client’s needs.
During the early stages of the project design, 4SPACE utilised Midjourney as a tool to conceptualise their design direction. “We conveyed our vision for the space by outlining specific elements: we envisioned a space characterised by curvy structures, reminiscent of moulded dough. We detailed our desired colour palette and the materials, emphasizing clay finishes and natural wood,” Alsahin says.
“We also articulated the need for a space devoid of corners. Furthermore, the entire structure, extending from the wall to the ceiling, was designed to mirror the bakery’s logo,” he shares. When Alsahin reviewed the output from Midjourney, the results served as a springboard for the subsequent design phase. “Even though the final outcome deviated somewhat from our initial concept, it was reassuring to realise our final direction was congruent with our initial vision,” he remarks.
Revolutionising space planning and client presentations
According to Alsahin, AI hasn’t replaced human creativity in space planning but significantly boosts visualisation capabilities. “AI aids in predicting and responding to client preferences by generating multiple visual options that closely align with their vision,” he observes.
This capability, he notes, accelerates the initial stages of the design process, enabling the firm to quickly hone in on a concept direction that resonates with the client. “It streamlines communication and decision-making, making the design process more efficient and client-centric.”
Balancing AI insights with creative intuition
While AI serves as a tool that translates creative vision into visual representations through carefully crafted prompts, Alsahin contends that a designer’s creativity, knowledge, and ability to articulate the desired outcome play a critical role in this process. “We balance AI insights with our creative intuition by using AI-generated visuals as a starting point for further creative exploration and refinement,” he says.
Despite the multitude of benefits the technology brings with it, Alsahin observes that one challenge with AI remains the task of ensuring that the AI-generated visuals accurately reflect one’s envisioned designs. “This requires a deep understanding of design styles, architectural elements, and the history of art to craft effective prompts. We address this challenge by continuously refining our prompts and leveraging our design expertise to guide the AI towards desired outcomes,” he explains.
The way forward
Looking ahead, the design director is excited about AI’s potential to further enhance collaborative design processes and personalised experiences. He opines that advancements in AI could lead to more intuitive tools for space planning, more sophisticated material and texture simulations, and even real-time design modifications in virtual or augmented reality settings. “The evolution of AI promises to deepen our creative capabilities and offer new ways to imagine and execute interior spaces,” says Alsahin.
He asserts that AI has revolutionised the industry’s ability to visualise and present design concepts. “By generating detailed and varied visuals at the early stages, we can more effectively convey our ideas and explore different design directions. This not only shortens the initial phase of the design process but also fosters a stronger connection with our clients, as it allows us to quickly align on a vision that truly reflects their preferences and desires,” Alsahin states.
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