Generative Design & Vibe Coding
Rethinking the design–development divide for UI prototyping
An interactive CHI 2026 meetup exploring how Gen-AI is reshaping prototyping across Houde & Hill's dimensions of look and feel and implementation. Through hands-on activities and reflection, we'll discuss opportunities, breakdowns, and best practices for human–AI collaboration.
Prototyping has long been central to HCI as a way of knowing. Recent advances in Generative AI are reshaping who prototypes and how—blurring boundaries between designers and developers, enabling faster workflows while raising new challenges around trust, authorship, and control.
Generative AI blurs the traditional boundary between design and development. Two emerging paradigms—Generative Design (Uizard, Adobe Firefly) and Vibe Coding (V0.dev, Bolt.new, Lovable)—are transforming the one-directional handoff into a collaborative, AI-mediated co-creation loop.
90-Minute Designathon Format
Introduction
10 minSet context on how generative AI is reshaping prototyping across design and development, and align everyone on the session purpose.
Tool Demos
15 minInspire participants with quick demos of browser-based generative design and vibe-coding tools to spark ideas for the hands-on activity.
Designathon
40 minCollaboratively prototype solutions to a shared design brief using Gen-AI tools, focusing on both "look & feel" and implementation.
Group Reflection
20 minReflect together on opportunities, breakdowns, and best practices using Houde & Hill's framework as a shared vocabulary.
Closing
5 minWrap up key takeaways and highlight how insights can inform future research and practice in AI-assisted prototyping.
More details for our event will post while approaching the event..
Participate our Designathon
This will be a very exciting Designathon Meetup for the CHI community. We're excited to host this event to connect researchers and casually build a research community around shared interests.
Pre-event surveys and the interest sign-up form will open in mid-February. If you’d like updates, please share your details—we’ll notify you when the survey is live and share event information to support planning.
Organizers
An international team of researchers and practitioners from Santa Clara University, Stanford University, Adobe Research, UCLA, Microsoft Research, University of Cambridge, University College London, Trent AI, UNIST, and the University of Michigan.
Xinqi Zhang
PhD Student
Santa Clara University, USA
PhD student in the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at Santa Clara University. Research on how AI agents can support digital wellbeing and bridge technical gaps for novices; involved in the Bay Area hackathon community and hosting this meetup.
xzhang22@scu.edu
Hari Subramonyam
Assistant Professor
Stanford University, USA
Assistant Professor (Research) at Stanford University. Works on cognitively informed design, co-design with learners/educators, and transformative AI-enabled learning experiences; advances responsible design tools and methods centered on ethics and human values.
hari@stanford.edu
Advait Sarkar
Researcher
Microsoft Research, UK
Researcher at Microsoft and lecturer at University of Cambridge/UCL. Studies effects of Generative AI on knowledge work, productivity, and creativity; leads agenda on enhancing critical thinking with Generative AI; authored "AI Should Challenge, Not Obey."
advait@microsoft.com
Ian Drosos
Member of Technical Staff
Trent AI, UK
Member of Technical Staff at Trent AI; designs and develops UX for creating/steering AI agents for secure code and processes; focuses on generative UX while addressing risks of vibe coding and modern dev workflows.
ian@trent.ai
Jack Wang
Researcher
Adobe Research, USA
Researcher at Adobe Research focusing on human-centered AI/ML technologies for human learning, creativity, and productivity.
jackwa@adobe.com
Kyungho Lee
Associate Professor
UNIST, South Korea
Associate Professor at UNIST; directs the Expressive Computing Lab; explores AI as tool/material/medium for design, guiding AI development via human-centered values toward computational expression and human–AI co-creation.
kyungho@unist.ac.kr
Veronica Pimenova
PhD Student
University of Michigan, USA
PhD student at the University of Michigan School of Information; research on human factors of software engineering, focusing on AI tools for accessibility and developer productivity in workplace environments.
pimenova@umich.edu
Xiang "Anthony" Chen
Associate Professor
UCLA, USA
Associate Professor at UCLA (ECE/CS). Human-centered interactive AI systems aligning with human values; multiple awards; 60+ publications with best paper awards/honorable mentions.
xac@ucla.edu
Kai Lukoff
Assistant Professor
Santa Clara University, USA
Assistant Professor at Santa Clara University; research on human-centered AI design and implications for prototyping and user agency; teaches software engineering focusing on critically and creatively integrating AI tools in development workflows.
klukoff@scu.eduGet in Touch
Have questions or want to contribute?
chi.genai.prototyping@gmail.com