230: High Sketching Proficiency Remains A Core Competency In Genai-Assisted Vehicle Design

Generative AI (GenAI) is disrupting industrial design workflows traditionally rooted in freehand sketching. While designers proficient in drawing once held a clear advantage, GenAI now produces images and 3D outputs in seconds. This shift is pushing industry and education, especially in transportation design, to reassess the value of advanced sketching skills. To address this, a vehicle design challenge using freehand sketching and GenAI was conducted with two groups: one highly proficient in freehand drawing, the other with standard skills. Data was gathered from resulting images, autoethnographic sessions, and reflections with transportation design experts on the outcomes. Results show that strong drawing skills remain valuable in both creator and curator roles, enabling clearer intent communication, more effective iteration, and better creative control over AI outcomes. Thus, freehand drawing proficiency remains foundational for design education and must evolve to integrate with GenAI literacy.