StoryEnsemble: Enabling Dynamic Exploration & Iteration in the Design Process with AI and Forward-Backward Propagation

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Suh, Sangho, Lai, Michael, Pu, Kevin, Dow, Steven P., Grossman, Tovi
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Suh, Sangho
Lai, Michael
Pu, Kevin
Dow, Steven P.
Grossman, Tovi
author_facet Suh, Sangho
Lai, Michael
Pu, Kevin
Dow, Steven P.
Grossman, Tovi
contents Design processes involve exploration, iteration, and movement across interconnected stages such as persona creation, problem framing, solution ideation, and prototyping. However, time and resource constraints often hinder designers from exploring broadly, collecting feedback, and revisiting earlier assumptions-making it difficult to uphold core design principles in practice. To better understand these challenges, we conducted a formative study with 15 participants-comprised of UX practitioners, students, and instructors. Based on the findings, we developed StoryEnsemble, a tool that integrates AI into a node-link interface and leverages forward and backward propagation to support dynamic exploration and iteration across the design process. A user study with 10 participants showed that StoryEnsemble enables rapid, multi-directional iteration and flexible navigation across design stages. This work advances our understanding of how AI can foster more iterative design practices by introducing novel interactions that make exploration and iteration more fluid, accessible, and engaging.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_03182
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle StoryEnsemble: Enabling Dynamic Exploration & Iteration in the Design Process with AI and Forward-Backward Propagation
Suh, Sangho
Lai, Michael
Pu, Kevin
Dow, Steven P.
Grossman, Tovi
Human-Computer Interaction
Artificial Intelligence
Design processes involve exploration, iteration, and movement across interconnected stages such as persona creation, problem framing, solution ideation, and prototyping. However, time and resource constraints often hinder designers from exploring broadly, collecting feedback, and revisiting earlier assumptions-making it difficult to uphold core design principles in practice. To better understand these challenges, we conducted a formative study with 15 participants-comprised of UX practitioners, students, and instructors. Based on the findings, we developed StoryEnsemble, a tool that integrates AI into a node-link interface and leverages forward and backward propagation to support dynamic exploration and iteration across the design process. A user study with 10 participants showed that StoryEnsemble enables rapid, multi-directional iteration and flexible navigation across design stages. This work advances our understanding of how AI can foster more iterative design practices by introducing novel interactions that make exploration and iteration more fluid, accessible, and engaging.
title StoryEnsemble: Enabling Dynamic Exploration & Iteration in the Design Process with AI and Forward-Backward Propagation
topic Human-Computer Interaction
Artificial Intelligence
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.03182