Ideas shape the material world, just as the material world creates conditions for personal expression. With the aid of contemporary tools and digital media, especially AIGC platforms such as Midjourney, individuals are increasingly able to visualize and articulate their unconscious aesthetic tendencies. These technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to transform abstract inner concepts into tangible visual forms—moving from metaphor to explicitness, from internalized perception to externalized expression. As David Holz suggested, Midjourney may be seen as a derivative of human thought, echoing the ancient Chinese principle in The I-Ching of “establishing images to express meaning” (立象以尽意). This process illustrates how values and emotions can be more intuitively conveyed through image-based expressions than through language alone. However, the educational value of this process depends on more than just technological accessibility. While AIGC tools can democratize visual creation, they do not inherently foster aesthetic judgment or critical design thinking. Therefore, the role of design educators and cultural producers remains essential. Through guided interaction, curated prompts, and critical reflection, educators can help learners move beyond superficial image generation toward meaningful aesthetic growth. In this way, AIGC serves not only as a creative tool, but also as a pedagogical catalyst—bridging technology and tradition, expression and interpretation, imagination and intention.

Authors:
Yimeng Shi, Donghua University, China
Menghe Tian, Donghua University, China
Arkadiusz Marcinkowski, SWPS University, Poland

About the Presenter(s)
Yimeng Shi is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Design at Donghua University, Shanghai, China. She is a graphic designer and curator, and a national member of the Design Committee of the China Packaging Federation.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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