Simplification of Design Space Exploration: A Critical Analysis of Interfaces For Generative Design

Managing the extensive design spaces available through generative design workflows poses a significant cognitive challenge, requiring effective tools for navigating and evaluating alternatives. Although multiple approaches, such as clustering, dimensionality reduction, and user-driven grouping, have been proposed to simplify making alternatives more accessible, we have yet to see the effective application of these approaches to design interfaces. We argue that this is due to issues surrounding how such approaches are presented to designers (e.g., unfamiliar and in black-box modes) or the limited interactions afforded to their representation (unintegrated and inflexible). To develop insight for tool development, we investigated eight design space exploration interfaces and two general-purpose visualization systems through criteria that are based on a literature review. As a contribution, we propose interface guidelines to streamline design exploration with integrated simplification methods.