Authors - K. Thirupathi Reddy, K. Venkata Ajay Kumar, M. Kaveri Abstract - This study explores female creators’ subjective lived experiences navigating human–AI interaction (HAI) within generative design ecosystems. It examines how creators engage with intelligent systems during collaborative creation processes and how they negotiate creative agency between algorithmic outputs and personal meaning-making. Drawing on an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, the study involves seven women who actively utilize Canva’s AI-enabled capabilities to produce professional digital content. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and digital observation of design outputs distributed on Instagram. The findings indicate that participants interpret Canva AI as a collaborative creative partner that supports iterative dialogue, experimentation, and reflective decision-making. Rather than replacing human authorship, AI interaction functions as a mediated process in which creators provide prompts, reinterpret generated results, and refine instructions to align outcomes with their subjective intentions. This interaction fosters a sense of psychological safety, particularly among non-professional designers, enabling them to explore creative practices with greater confidence. Through this ongoing negotiation between human agency and algorithmic assistance, participants describe pathways toward professional identity formation and increased participation in contemporary digital creative cultures. Overall, the study highlights how intelligent design systems can shape meaning-making processes, reinforce creative self-efficacy, and support women’s evolving roles within AI-assisted visual communication practices.
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