In this third installment of our GenAI workshop series at DIS, we focus on ‘stopsigns’—the blockages that impede progress in design research with GenAI. These stopsigns manifest as both semantic barriers (political, social, or mental frameworks) and pragmatic hurdles (technical limitations or implementation challenges) that persist despite the rapid advancements since the GenAI boom. Such stopsigns present a productive tension—they often contain partial truths worthy of consideration while simultaneously being shortsighted in ways that prevent progression. From blanket rejection to uncritical acceptance, these barriers affect how meaningfully we engage with GenAI’s potential. Our workshop welcomes both returning and first-time participants to share their experiences with these persistent challenges and work together to develop practical solutions. Through analysis of real cases and hands-on activities, we’ll build strategies for moving beyond these obstacles while acknowledging their legitimate concerns. Our goal is to foster more thoughtful integration of GenAI in design research and practice.

This workshop explores the transformative potential of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in design research. GenAI, capable of creating new content such as images, text, music, video, and code, raises important questions about authorship, agency, and design practice. Inspired by Roland Barthes’ "The Death of the Author," this workshop examines how GenAI reshapes design research roles and methods. Key topics include best practices, ethical considerations, knowledge generation, and collaboration patterns between human and AI creatives.

Building on themes identified in the successful DIS 2023 workshop, this 2-day event invites designers and researchers to present completed projects, works-in-progress, and theoretical provocations. The structure allows time for both presentations and in-depth discussions, aiming to develop an online resource library and a collaborative publication. The workshop seeks to advance the discourse on GenAI, addressing its challenges and opportunities in design research.