Reversed Design with Generative AI
A Teams message about creating a campfire powered by a rocket engine evolved into a collaborative art installation, demonstrating how generative AI accelerates prototyping while humans maintain curatorial control.
What happens when a casual Teams message becomes an experiment in human-AI collaboration? At RISE, a question about creating a “campfire powered by a rocket engine” evolved into an art installation for the Computer Science Open House 2025.
The Genesis
Unit Manager Tobias Edman asked if designers could craft a campfire shaped like an inverted rocket engine for his fireside chat with astronaut Marcus Wandt. This playful request sparked an iterative design process blending AI-generated concepts with physical craftsmanship.
The Process
The team used Midjourney and Adobe Photoshop to generate and refine visual concepts. These digital designs were then translated into a 3D installation using papier-mache flames, crepe paper, and a reversed rocket engine structure. Sofie Aschan partnered with Anna M Karlsson on the physical realization.
Reversed Design Philosophy
The approach mirrors reverse engineering—generative AI accelerates prototyping while humans maintain curatorial control. The observation is that tools now ideate, remix, and iterate alongside creators rather than merely executing instructions.
Key Observations
Working with generative AI in design reveals several shifts:
- Speed transformation - Tasks previously requiring days now complete in seconds, raising quality expectations
- Role evolution - Designers transition from creators to creative directors for systems
- Division of labor - AI generates content; humans craft the foundational prompt and provide physical effort
- Constant adaptation - The field demands continuous learning as tools evolve rapidly
Dancing with AI
Rather than resisting or surrendering to AI, the team advocates “dancing with it”—maintaining human creativity and judgment while leveraging algorithmic capabilities for enhanced storytelling.
At the Center for Applied AI at RISE, the design and communication team actively uses generative AI in their work and strives to be transparent about how. From text and image generation to exploring new ways AI can help tell stronger narratives, they are constantly learning and evolving.
