A Study on the Application of Natural Language-Based Generative AI in Spatial Formative Design Education - Focus on Cases of Structural Resonance in the 'Design as Language' Framework -

(Background and Purpose) Spatial design is essentially a multimedia in nature, blending 2D and 3D elements, as well as digital and physical experiences. The value of formative education in this field lies not merely in creating forms, but in constructing a system where each element interacts within a given context—that is, the process of internalizing a ‘formative language’. However, lower-grade learners with limited experience in the overall design process tend to focus on rapid implementation rather than open exploration, which results in a limitation where ideas converge too early before the formative possibilities are fully developed. Under the critical awareness, this study analyzed a case where GenAI was introduced as a formal exploration tool in‘Spatial Formative Design II’, a foundation course in the Department of Spatial Design at Kookmin University. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine how the application of AI structurally resonates with the‘Design as a Language’framework and generates educational effects. (Method) This study adopted a practice-based research (PBR) approach. This study was conducted on the“Spatial Formative Design II”course for 26 first-year students (8 teams) in the Department of Spatial Design at Kookmin University. The formative education curriculum was redesigned into a three-step language acquisition model—reading, writing, and speaking—and operated three projects that placed it within a media circulation structure of analog drawing, digital translation, and physical modeling. Midjourney was utilized as a mediating interface for formative thinking, and a qualitative analysis was conducted using individual and team project reports, prompt logs with generated images, final models, and end-of-semester reflections as primary analysis data. (Results) Rapid visualization through GenAI fostered integrated thinking and organic linkages across media by enabling learners to immerse themselves in the prompt iteration, the classification and evaluation of outputs, and the recalibration of formative directions. In the process of exploring images using natural language, students repeatedly practiced clarifying their formative intentions through words, which significantly contributed to expanding their design vocabulary and enhancing their expressive capabilities. (Conclusions) This study confirmed that GenAI can function as an interface for multi-media exploration beyond a mere production tool in Spatial Formative Design education. The structural resonance between the AI mechanism and the‘Design as a Language’framework becomes a key educational condition that enhances learner immersion and induces the expansion of formative thinking. The significance of this study lies in presenting practical indicators for the methodological transformation of Spatial Formative Design education in the AI era.