Design Sparks is an AI-based web-app developed by The National Centre for Creativity enabled by AI (CebAI) that uses well-established creative problem solving techniques alongside AI to generate design ideas.

Users can input design problems or ideas into the app by typing, pasting a link, or uploading a PDF. The AI generates sparks, or design ideas, which users can save and browse through for later use.

Users can focus their idea generation by clicking on extracted topics, ask the AI to generate more ideas based on a specific spark, or adjust topic settings to analyze rare, common, or random themes.

Circular design will be a key pillar for more sustainable economies in the future. Design Sparks supports your creative thinking to generate ideas around preventing waste and pollution and creating durable, reusable, repairable and recyclable products.

A new set of sparks which direct the AI to generate ideas for more circular designs was launched at the Design for Planet Festival 2023, developed alongside experts from the Design Council and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

To try out this feature in Design Sparks simply go to theme settings, select the circular design option and click save.

The app allows users to choose a creative problem-solving technique to generate sparks based on.Design Sparks distinguishes itself from chatbots like ChatGPT with its interactive creativity prompts, curated knowledge, and insights components.

The web-app was developed to increase workforce creativity and improve productivity, competitiveness, and critical thinking. It was funded by Research England, with contributions from City, University of London, and over 20 industrial partners to the value of £7.6m.

The project is designed to be self-funding through licensing and consultancy services after the grant ends in 2024. Design Sparks is a valuable tool for service, product, UX/UI designers, and stakeholders to bounce around ideas, explore new perspectives, and possibilities.

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Design Sparks was manually vetted by our editorial team and was first featured on June 16th 2023.

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Pros and Cons

Pros

Generates design ideas

Inputs: typing, links, PDF

Saves ideas for later

Adjusts theme exploration settings

Selectable idea generation methods

Infinite idea generation

Automatic idea generation

Better creativity prompts than ChatGPT

Curated knowledge components

Insights components

Encourages co-creation of solutions

Broad input options

Customizable creativity method

Established problem solving techniques

Exploration of new perspectives

Tailored responses to design problems

Save and reuse ideas

Refresh for new ideas

Co-developed with prestigious partners

Focus on workforce creativity

Designed for self-funding

Increases productivity and competitiveness

Enhances critical thinking

Serves various design roles

Extracted topics for focussed ideas

Benefit of 20+ industrial partner insights

£7.6m research based development

Large-scale project undertaking

Developed for UX/UI designers

Developed for stakeholders

Critical thinking stimulation

Browser remember saved ideas

Option to generate more ideas

Look at rare, common, random themes

Prompt problem-solving technique choice

Hard refresh for fresh ideas

Interactive creativity element

Insightful tool built-ins

Challenges users with new solutions

Long-term project lifecycle

Quality ensured by high-profile investment

Aids with increased workforce creativity

Improves productivity

Promotes competitiveness

Streamlines creativity process

Accessible and user-friendly web-app

Cons

No mobile application

No real-time collaboration

No API Integration

Can't share sparks publicly

Unclear about data security

No user community

Limited customer support hours

Dependent on grant funding

No multilingual support

No training resources

Q&A

What is Design Sparks?

Design Sparks is an AI-based web application developed to generate and browse design ideas. It uses creative problem-solving techniques alongside AI to generate these ideas, distinguishing itself from typical chatbots through its interactive creativity prompts, curated knowledge, and insights components. Users can input ideas into the app by typing, pasting a link, or uploading a PDF. The application was developed by The National Centre for Creativity enabled by AI (CebAI) and is aimed at boosting creativity and improving productivity, competitiveness, and critical thinking.

How does Design Sparks generate design ideas?

Design Sparks uses well-established creative problem-solving techniques and combines these with artificial intelligence. Users can input design problems or ideas into the app, and the AI interprets this data, generating 'sparks' or design ideas in response. These sparks can be saved and later browsed through for later use.

Can I input my own ideas into Design Sparks?

Yes, users can indeed input their own ideas into Design Sparks. This can be done by typing directly into the app, pasting a link, or uploading a relevant PDF document.

What does it mean that Design Sparks 'generates sparks'?

'Generating sparks' refers to the process of the AI creating and presenting design ideas based on the user's input. These 'sparks' can be saved and reviewed later, aiding in the idea generation process.

How can I focus my idea generation on Design Sparks?

Users can focus their idea generation on Design Sparks adjusting the topic settings to analyze rare, common, or random themes. Additionally, they can click on extracted topics to focus their ideas, and ask the AI to generate more ideas based on a specific spark.

How is Design Sparks different from a typical chatbot?

Design Sparks is different from a typical chatbot due to its interactive creativity prompts, curated knowledge, and insights components. Rather than merely supplying existing information scraped from the internet, it challenges human users to co-create new solutions.

Who developed Design Sparks?

Design Sparks was developed by The National Centre for Creativity enabled by AI (CebAI), as part of a prestigious project working in the fast-moving tech sector.

What is the main purpose of Design Sparks?

The main purpose of Design Sparks is to increase workforce creativity, thereby contributing to improved productivity, competitiveness, and critical thinking. It seeks to enhance creative and design processes through AI-enhanced problem-solving techniques.

Who funded the development of Design Sparks?

The development of Design Sparks was funded by Research England, with contributions from City, University of London, and over 20 industrial partners, amounting to a total value of £7.6 million.

Who is Design Sparks intended for?

Design Sparks is intended for service, product, UX/UI designers, and stakeholders, aiding them in the exploration of new perspectives and possibilities for their design process.

Does Design Sparks remember my previous ideas?

Yes, Design Sparks does remember users' previous ideas. Any sparks that stand out to users can be saved, and their browser will recall these ideas for next time.

How does Design Sparks use AI?

Design Sparks employs AI to interpret users' design problems or ideas and to generate 'sparks' or design ideas, using advanced machine learning and other AI technologies. This process is governed using established creative problem-solving techniques.

How do the creative problem-solving techniques in Design Sparks work?

The creative problem-solving techniques within Design Sparks are established methods that have been adapted for design projects. These techniques guide the AI's generation of design ideas based on user input.

Can I choose a different creative problem-solving technique on Design Sparks?

Yes, users can choose a creative problem-solving technique to generate sparks from within Design Sparks. This allows them to tailor the idea generation process to their liking.

What is the National Centre for Creativity enabled by AI?

The National Centre for Creativity enabled by AI, or CebAI, is an institution that was involved in the creation and development of Design Sparks. Working within the rapidly progressing tech sector, CebAI manipulates creative problem-solving processes using machine learning and other new AI tech.

Why is Design Sparks considered a valuable tool?

Design Sparks is considered a valuable tool because it facilitates the generation and exploration of design ideas. It enables users to co-create new solutions, serves as a reliable collaborator, and nurtures a space for limitless creativity.

What will happen to Design Sparks when the grant ends in 2024?

After the grant ends in 2024, Design Sparks is designed to become self-sustaining through income derived from licensing and consultancy services.

What are the benefits of using Design Sparks?

The benefits of using Design Sparks include enhanced creativity, improved productivity, competitiveness, and critical thinking. It allows for the generation of infinite ideas and opportunities to explore new perspectives and possibilities for the design process.

Does Design Sparks offer licensing and consultancy services?

Yes, Design Sparks plans to offer licensing and consultancy services to derive income and sustain the project after the grant funding ends in 2024.

How does Design Sparks prompt interactive creativity?

Design Sparks prompts interactive creativity through the inclusion of interactive creativity prompts, curated knowledge, and insights components. These features challenge users to co-create new solutions, fostering a collaborative approach to creativity and design.