# Breaking the Midas Spell:Understanding Progressive Novice-AI Collaboration in Spatial Design

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.20124 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.20124/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 26 Oct 2024.

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [GenTune: Toward Traceable Prompts to Improve Controllability of Image Refinement in Environment Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.15227/) (2025)
- [From Style Replication to Style Exploration: Enabling Art Style Exploration with Analyze-Experiment-Resituate Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.14405/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In spatial design, Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools often generate the entire spatial design outcome in a single automated step, rather than engaging users in a deepening and iterative process. This significantly reduces users' involvement, learning, and creative capabilities, leading to a superficial understanding of spatial design. We conducted a Wizard-of-Oz study, where Novices and AI (acted by experimenters) worked together to finish spatial design tasks using various AI models. We identified typical function and workflow patterns adopted by the participants, leading to the understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the human-AI co-creation process. Based on insights gathered from this research, we proposed some design implications of the novice-AI collaboration system that aims to democratize spatial design through a progressive, iterative co-creation process.