Designer identity in the context of artificial intelligence: A qualitative typology study on graphic design students
Generative artificial intelligence is changing design practice and raising questions about what it means to become a designer. This study examines how undergraduate graphic design students construct designer identities through professional positioning, creativity, control, and expectations for the future. A basic qualitative research design was employed with 18 students who had completed at least one comprehensive design project. Data were collected using a structured written form containing 16 open-ended questions, developed through a literature review and evaluation by a subject specialist and a qualitative research methods specialist. A five-stage hybrid thematic analysis combined deductive overarching categories with inductively generated codes and subcategories across five dimensions: designer identity, professional positioning, relationships with artificial intelligence, control, value and creativity, and perceptions of the future. Four subcategories were identified within each overarching category. Cross-category comparisons yielded four ideal-typical profiles: Technology-Integrated, Innovative, and Proactive; Traditional, Emotion/Art-Oriented, and Protective; Process/Development-Oriented and Cautious Student/Aspiring Designer; and Pragmatic, Functional, and Solution-Oriented. These profiles represent analytical configurations of meaning, not fixed participant groups; statements from the same participant could align with different profiles. Designer identity emerged as dynamic and context-sensitive, involving professional values, originality, perceived control, and technological change. Design education should recognize differing orientations toward artificial intelligence and support reflection on authorship, autonomy, and professional futures. Longitudinal and multi-institutional research could examine how these orientations develop across educational settings and stages.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Aytaç Özmutlu, Emel Bayrak Özmutlu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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Article Information
- Article Type Research Articles
- Submitted September 8, 2026
- Accepted October 26, 2026
- Published October 30, 2026
- Issue Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026): Pedagogical Perspective (December)
- Section Research Articles
