Prompt Design Workflow Based on User Contextual Language for Generative Artificial Intelligence Conceptual Design: A Case Study of Agricultural Tools for Elderly Farmers

In early-stage product ideation, generative AI has emerged as a design support tool, yet most prompts still rely on designers’ subjective intent with limited grounding in user context. Therefore, we developed a user-centered prompting method, introducing a context-based prompt derived from field data, alongside narrative-based and keyword-based prompts as controls. Using these prompts, 15 conceptual images of farming tools for elderly users were generated via DALL·E 3 and evaluated by seven seasoned experts across five criteria. The results show that context-based prompts outperformed others, especially in practicality and intent alignment. A thematic analysis of qualitative feedback further reveals that user-grounded prompts enhance design resonance and usability. This workflow offers implications for improving human–AI co-creation, especially in socially sensitive design contexts.