AIGC-Enhanced Curriculum for Interface Design: Integrating Prompt Engineering, Visual Logic, and User Empathy

Abstract

In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital creativity, the integration of Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) has introduced both disruption and opportunity within design education. This study investigates how an AIGC-enhanced curriculum can be purposefully implemented to support the development of three critical competencies in interface design: prompt engineering, visual logic, and user empathy. Conducted as a qualitative case study at a vocational university in China, the 8-week course engaged 28 undergraduate students in a series of studio-based projects that embedded generative AI tools—such as Midjourney and Uizard—across ideation, prototyping, and reflection. Drawing on thematic analysis of student artifacts, field notes, interviews, and peer/self-evaluations, the findings reveal that students not only gained fluency in prompt-based design communication, but also demonstrated growth in visual reasoning and empathetic problem-solving. Moreover, learners reported a shift in mindset—from passive recipients of software training to creative explorers co-authoring with intelligent systems. These outcomes suggest that when thoughtfully integrated, AIGC tools can deepen conceptual understanding, support iterative design thinking, and reposition students as active agents in the design process. The study contributes to emerging scholarship on postdigital pedagogy and proposes a model for reimagining interface design education in the age of human–AI collaboration.