AI Experiments, as the name suggests, was a week dedicated to getting hands-on with artificial intelligence through a series of playful and fast-paced projects. The aim was to create a wide range of small prototypes in a short amount of time, primarily by working conversationally with an AI coding assistant. This approach allowed ideas that might normally take at least a week to realise to be turned into rough, working prototypes within a few hours, shifting the focus from polishing to rapid exploration and validation.
Over the course of the week, the designer learnt how to move from an initial concept to a functional prototype quickly, using dialogue with the AI to write, refine and debug code on the fly. This process made experimentation feel lighter and less intimidating, encouraging frequent iteration and exploration of multiple directions instead of committing too early to a single solution. It also highlighted how AI can act as a partner for thinking through architecture, edge cases and implementation details while the designer focuses on intent and interaction.
Since the course, the designer has continued to use AI as a kind of “desk buddy”: a reliable collaborator for getting things done, answering questions and offering expertise across several subject areas. Rather than replacing the designer’s skills, the AI extends them, making it easier to test ideas, explore alternatives and push projects forward more consistently.
For the final project of the week, an app was created to let designers use an open-source platform to tether a camera and capture photos that transfer directly to a connected computer. The experiment explored how existing open-source tools could be combined into something practical that designers could use in their own workflows. The idea was inspired by one of the faculty members, who had developed a similar application for photo editing that their partner now uses to speed up their editing process. There is also a website that documents all of these projects in detail and makes them available to view through the designer’s https://nikhilsajjan.github.io/ai-documentation-website/
