With AI impacting all aspects of work in the design community and construction industry, a question on everyone’s lips is what does this mean for me?

Artificial intelligence and digital tools are redefining design and construction, and how we as an industry find meaningful ways to connect digital and physical worlds will define the next era of work and workplace design.

Utilising machine learning systems as co-creators to accelerate the traditional design lifecycle is happening, with practices such as Gensler using real-time rendering and scenario modeling to storyboard physical spaces for example.

So we were delighted to host and support WOD New Wave’s first ever hands-on workshop earlier this year, to find out a little more on how AI is influencing design thinking today – is it amplifying our work or replacing it?

The workshop was shaped by Deepak Parmar, Director of Impact & Innovation at MCM and Wan Feng, AI Digital Artist at Gensler, with an invited audience of early-career designers to explore these questions through both discussion and practice.

Asking questions and getting answers

AI search is becoming part of everyday behaviour, for instance as specifiers or purchasers we might rely on AI to compare specs, read reviews, and summarise options in one place, shortening research time. But it is AI’s ability to synthesise information from multiple sources that has been a game changer. It is the shift from browsing, to conversational discovery through prompting.

And it is the art of conversation and human interaction that came into sharp focus through this workshop. Deepak cited that up to 82% of design tasks could technically be handled by AI. But the real value, he argued, lies in the 18% it can’t – human curiosity, empathy and presence.

He spoke of a client who repeatedly described their brief using the word “comfortable”. It took time, patience and genuine presence to understand what the client was really asking for. What they wanted wasn’t optimisation, it was belonging. That kind of insight, Deepak said, can’t be prompted into existence. It comes from sitting in the room with someone and listening.

Worth noting here too is that in AI search visibility is determined by what AI systems choose to include, and the information will only be as good as the reference data behind it.

Enabling storytelling and the creative process

AI’s most powerful contribution to design isn’t speed or output, but narrative, was a key message from speaker Wan Feng. When used with intent, it becomes a way to layer meaning, environmental, historical and human, into the work, rather than simply rendering it.

Wan spoke of her own journey as a designer. From experimenting with AI during her studies, to learning how the tools work in practise, to stepping into a role that didn’t exist before she joined Gensler, her work reframed AI not as a shortcut, but as a storytelling tool.

Highlighting the importance of narrative working in tandem with user experience is another key takeaway from this discussion. A strong narrative creates resonance, effective storytelling elevates a space beyond functionality to create environments that are meaningful, engaging and people-centred.

A final conclusion on whether AI is amplifying design thinking, or replacing it comes from Hamza Shaikh, Gensler Design Technology Co-CEO. Named a RIBA Journal Rising Star in 2023, he works on bridging traditional architectural representation with digital visualisation tools. He commented that the strongest work starts with human insight and uses AI to develop, challenge and stress-test it.

The takeaway according to the WOD New Wave attendees at this event:

✅ The future isn’t AI vs human, it’s both.

✅ Human insight sets the direction. AI helps develop it.

Note: WOD New Wave is a community initiative by Women in Office Design launched in London in late 2025. It supports early-career architecture, interior, and product designers through mentorship, honest conversations, and networking. [1]