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This study investigates the role of LLMs in collaborative software design by observing 18 pairs of professional designers working on a design task with optional access to a custom LLM. The research found that creativity was present in all pairs, primarily driven by human traits like experience and empathy, with the LLM contributing novel ideas and elaborations. However, the LLM sometimes hindered creativity by suggesting overly complex solutions or causing unproductive digressions, highlighting the need for intentional engagement with LLMs in creative tasks.
LLMs can both spark and stifle creativity in collaborative software design, so designers must wield them intentionally.
While the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) in programming has been extensively studied, there is limited understanding of how LLMs support collaborative work where creativity plays a central role. Software design, as a collaborative and creative activity, provides a valuable context for exploring the influence of LLMs on creativity. This study investigates how and where creativity naturally emerges when software designers collaborate with an LLM during a design task. In a laboratory setting simulating a workplace environment, 18 pairs of software professionals with design experience were asked to complete a design task. Each pair had 90 minutes to produce a software design based on a set of requirements, with optional access to a custom LLM interface. Pairs were not primed to be creative. We find that creativity was present in all pairs in design processes, with 13 producing design documents containing creativity. We primarily attribute creativity to the human designers, driven by traits such as prior experience, empathy, and the use of analogies. The LLM contributed by producing novel ideas and elaborating human ideas. However, in some cases, the LLM appeared to hinder creativity by suggesting complex solutions or adding to unproductive digressions. LLMs can support creativity in collaborative software design, but human insights remain central. To effectively augment human creativity, designers must be intentional in their engagement with LLMs.
