Research Article
Beyond the Prompt: Rethinking Authorship and Originality in AI-Assisted Graphic Design
Bahaa Mustafa*
,
Abeer Ibrahim
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 3, September 2026
Pages:
77-86
Received:
5 July 2026
Accepted:
20 July 2026
Published:
10 August 2026
Abstract: Only several years after their introduction, generative AI-based image generation tools like Midjourney, DALL-E, or Stable Diffusion became an integral component in the routine design process of graphic designers, raising anew an age-old question: who authors a graphic work, and what is its originality? This paper is a conceptual and critical synthesis of relevant literature rather than an empirical study. No original data collection was conducted here; the paper synthesizes legal cases, guidelines, scholarship produced by practitioners and in design education, and experimental research on generative model biases in order to trace how GenAI is altering the understanding of authorship and originality in graphic design through copyright law, professional practices, visual aesthetics, and design education. GenAI does not render human authorship irrelevant, as was claimed by many in the early discussion of the topic. Rather, it becomes relative depending on how specific the human input in terms of creative direction is, how deep the post-generation editing is and how effectively a designer is able to justify the design choices. Copyright law authorities in the US, UK, and EU reach the consensus on the principle of protecting only works created with demonstrable human authorial input; however, each one uses its own criteria to measure this input. According to practitioner research, the function of designers changes from the creator of visuals to curators and editors of the machine output. On the other hand, experimental research of generative models demonstrates homogenization of styles and representational bias inherited from training data, but also improvements in efficiency and positive evaluation by audiences of GenAI-assisted graphics. The field where these issues are addressed is design education. The paper concludes by using the existing control-based legal scholarship to develop a multi-dimensional framework which can be used by practitioners, educators, and reviewers to describe GenAI-assisted works.
Abstract: Only several years after their introduction, generative AI-based image generation tools like Midjourney, DALL-E, or Stable Diffusion became an integral component in the routine design process of graphic designers, raising anew an age-old question: who authors a graphic work, and what is its originality? This paper is a conceptual and critical synth...
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Research Article
An ICT-Mediated Framework for Virtual Ideation in Graphic Design: The Issue of Pedagogy
Patience Vanderpuye*,
Edward Appiah
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 3, September 2026
Pages:
87-92
Received:
8 February 2026
Accepted:
3 August 2026
Published:
24 August 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajad.20261103.12
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Abstract: The increasing integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in design education has significantly influenced contemporary design pedagogy, particularly through blended learning approaches, online studios, and virtual design studio (VDS) environments. Although considerable scholarly attention has been given to ICT-supported ideation in architecture and engineering education, its instructional application during the ideation phase of graphic design, especially within virtual learning contexts, has received limited empirical attention. In many graphic design programmes, digital technologies are predominantly utilized for production and final output, with insufficient pedagogical structuring to support early-stage idea generation. This situation has resulted in noticeable disparities between students’ digitally driven ideation practices and lecturers’ pedagogical expectations. This study examines the applicability of an ICT-mediated pedagogical framework proposed by Appiah (2014) as a means of supporting virtual ideation within the graphic design process. Adopting a qualitative research design, the framework was implemented and tested within virtual studio environments to evaluate its effectiveness in supporting ideation. Data were gathered through observation of virtual studio ideation, unstructured interviews, and analysis of outcomes produced during virtual ideation activities. The findings reveal that structured mediation of ICT use promotes deeper student engagement in ideation, strengthens conceptual clarity, and encourages reflective design. The study provides empirical support for the role of purposeful ICT mediation in aligning students’ informal technology use with formal instructional goals. It concludes by recommending the integration of Appiah’s (2014) ICT-mediated framework to enhance virtual ideation practices within graphic design pedagogy in Ghana.
Abstract: The increasing integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in design education has significantly influenced contemporary design pedagogy, particularly through blended learning approaches, online studios, and virtual design studio (VDS) environments. Although considerable scholarly attention has been given to ICT-supported ideation...
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