From Rendering to Decision: A Process-Based Framework of Interior Design Judgement in Human–AI Co-creation

Generative artificial intelligence has transformed the workflow in contemporary design fields. In the realm of interior design, designers are confronted with the challenge of making professional judgments within the AI-assisted design process. Although existing research has recognized the need to incorporate constraints when using AI for design assistance, the operational mechanisms of these constraints remain unclear. This study adopts a qualitative research approach, combining literature review, interviews, and case studies, and through thematic analysis and case analysis, identifies. The key factors in the AI-assisted interior design decision-making process and how they are formed during the design process, thereby establishing a transferable framework for AI-assisted interior design. The research findings indicate that while AI opens up design concepts for designers in the early stages of interior design, it does not alleviate the cognitive load of professional design judgments. The quality of design outcomes depends on whether design constraints are appropriately integrated into the process and whether design judgments are based on evidence-based evaluations.