Exploring UX/UI Design in the Age of AI with DePaul University Students – Planning Stage

Hello! I’m Miho, a student intern at Archeco!☺️

The other day, 15 students from DePaul University in Chicago, USA, who are interested in UX/UI design, visited Japan.
We hosted a 3-hour hands-on workshop at our Archeco office!

It wasn’t just a company introduction — it was a fully interactive, hands-on learning experience!

Even though we come from different countries and cultures, I was reminded that the passion to improve user experiences through trial and error is something we all share.

We’ll be sharing this workshop experience across three blog posts!

Part 1: Planning the Workshop (This Post)

　　　How did this workshop come to life?

　　　What preparations did we make?

　　　A behind-the-scenes look from an intern’s perspective!

Part 2: The Workshop in Action

　　　What kind of ideas were born during the actual workshop?

　　　How did we use AI to refine our designs?

　　　A real look at the students’ creative outputs!

Part 3: Discussion & Cultural Exchange

　　　What skills do UX/UI designers need in the age of AI?

　　　Deep questions explored during our final discussion

　　　A glimpse into the fun, open cultural exchange beyond the workshop

First, in this "Planning the Workshop" post, I’ll share the background story and behind-the-scenes preparation process✨

It all started with an email from a professor at DePaul University:

　　　"We’re interested in Japanese UX/UI design!"
　　　"We want to give our students real-world exposure to the business side of design!"

After receiving this passionate request, we thought hard about how we could provide the best learning opportunity.

At first, we considered simply introducing Archeco’s past projects and sharing our thoughts on UX design in Japan.

But since they were making the effort to visit Japan in person, we wanted them to learn in a much more interactive, immersive way.

Rather than a one-way presentation, we believed that true learning happens when people think and create together.

That’s how the idea for an "AI-Era UX/UI Design Workshop" came to life — a hands-on experience for everyone to explore together!

And guess who was put in charge of the project… me, the intern!

Honestly, I was nervous at first and kept wondering, "Can I really pull this off?"

But with the encouragement of my mentors — "It’s a great opportunity, give it a try!" — I took the plunge and got started.

Here’s what I worked on:

Workshop Design:

　　　Choosing a theme that would be relevant and engaging for international students

　　　Figuring out how to showcase Archeco’s past design projects in an approachable way

Bridging the Language Gap:

　　　Preparing English materials and explanations for technical terms

　　　Making sure the table facilitators felt comfortable communicating in English

Coordinating with the Team:

　　　Assigning roles like catering and facilitation to ensure everything ran smoothly

Lastly, we wanted the students to relax and enjoy themselves, so we prepared a variety of Japanese snacks and drinks to share at the end of the workshop.

Working with different departments across the company to create this event together was also a valuable team-building experience for me!

Before the Workshop:
Even before coming to Japan, the DePaul students had been split into groups and asked to brainstorm wireframes and service ideas for a theme: "Services for international students visiting Japan."

On the Day:
They used AI tools like Uizard and ChatGPT to refine their wireframes further.

For example, they asked ChatGPT, "What features would make travel easier for international students?"
Or they used Uizard to auto-generate wireframes in seconds.

By combining human creativity with AI support, they worked to create even better UX/UI designs.

We also compared the wireframes the students had prepared in advance with the ones generated by AI in just a few minutes:

　　　"Which one is easier to understand?"
　　　"Which one is truly user-friendly?"

These questions sparked lively discussions.

Finally, we had a group discussion on the theme, "How will UX/UI designers evolve in the AI era?"

　　　"If AI can design for us, what should humans focus on?"
　　　"Who decides what makes an experience truly comfortable or user-friendly?"
　　　"How can we accurately evaluate AI-generated designs?"

Despite differences in nationality and language, the students tackled these questions together, sometimes struggling, sometimes laughing.

It became a deeply meaningful moment of shared understanding through design.

At the end of the workshop, we gathered around some Japanese snacks and light refreshments for a casual networking time.

Students who had been nervous at first were now smiling naturally.

The conversations weren’t just about design:

　　　"What’s a must-visit place in Japan?"
　　　"Which wagashi (Japanese sweets) are the tastiest?"
　　　"What Japanese things do you like the most?"

It was a warm and friendly time where we felt like we’d made friends across borders.

As an intern, creating this workshop from scratch taught me so much:

　　　The challenge and joy of building something as a team

　　　The importance of "just trying it first"

　　　How to find ways to connect across cultures and languages

　　　Why human-centered thinking is at the heart of great design

Through this experience, I truly felt that UX/UI design can be even more fun and meaningful when we think for people, no matter what country or language we speak.

Although I was nervous at first, I was proud to see the workshop succeed and feel a sense of accomplishment!

In the next post, "The Workshop in Action," I’ll dive deeper into what we learned through hands-on collaboration with the students.

Stay tuned!