Clayscape

"A new hybrid craft."

Chinese ceramic-making involves complex and interdependent steps, making it technically demanding. Digital fabrication methods attempt to make the process more accessible, but for craft-creators, technical challenges such as CAD and CAM skills remain major obstacles. To address this, we designed a hybrid workflow that integrates Generative AI with clay 3D printing to support new creative possibilities. We evaluated the workflow through ClayScape, a design tool that operationalizes this approach, with four ceramic creators. Our findings show that beginner creators benefited from accessible entry points into the creative process, while experienced artists critically reflected on how technology-supported workflows could be balanced with traditional craft skills, revealing the potential for a shift from freehand making toward hybrid fabrication. This work demonstrates how ideas can be transformed into physical forms through human–AI design applied to digital fabrication.

Publication in DIS: Designing Interactive Systems (DIS'26), arxiv.