Using metal 3D printing, Google DeepMind, an artificial intelligence (AI) research company in the UK acquired by Google, collaborated with designer Ross Lovegrove, Creative Director Ila Colombo from Lovegrove Studio, and design office Modem to turn AI-generated concepts into a physical chair. The team used Gemini and Google DeepMind’s generative image technology to create a model that translates Lovegrove’s organic, biomorphic design language into visual outputs.
Capturing a Designer’s Style Through AI
The project began with the challenge of representing Ross Lovegrove’s design approach accurately. Researchers curated a dataset of Lovegrove’s personal sketches and fine-tuned the text-to-image model, Imagen, to incorporate his characteristic curves, structural logic, and organic patterns. The aim was to develop an AI tool that could express his design vision while supporting exploration of new chair concepts.
The process was human-guided. Lovegrove Studio focused on defining the visual vocabulary and descriptive language of Ross’ work to guide the AI. The team analyzed how the model interpreted specific terms, using that feedback to refine prompts and better align outputs with the studio’s intentions. To expand the range of ideas, the model was tasked with generating chair concepts without directly using the word “chair,” instead relying on creative synonyms to produce more diverse outputs.
From AI Concept to 3D Printed Prototype
After the AI-generated concepts were approved, Gemini was used to explore materials and visualize the chair from multiple perspectives. The digital sketches were then translated into a physical chair using metal 3D printing, producing a functional object that preserves the organic, fluid forms central to Lovegrove’s aesthetic.
“For me, the final result transcends the whole debate on design. It shows us that AI can bring something unique and extraordinary to the process,” said Ross Lovegrove.
3D Printed Furniture
Google DeepMind adds to an ongoing exploration of 3D printing in furniture design, a field that has gradually moved from experimental prototyping to more advanced applications involving simulation, sustainability, and structural performance.
In June, Ta.Tamu, a lightweight, foldable chair developed through a partnership between 3D CAD software provider Dassault Systèmes and French designer Patrick Jouin, was presented in Paris on June 25, 2025. Designed using Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE platform, the project explores how digital tools and biomimicry can support more sustainable design and manufacturing methods.
In 2018, Spanish design group Nagami collaborated with various architects and designers, including Zaha Hadid Architects, for the project Brave New World: Re-thinking Design in the New Age of Technology. Two of the resulting pieces, Bow and Rise, were designed by Patrick Schumacher and Sebastian Anda using PLA bioplastic and printed via pellet-extrusion. The chairs were influenced by “structural optimisation processes typically found in nature,” and featured complex surface geometries and color gradients. According to Nagami, the forms aimed to reframe the spatial relationship between furniture and its setting.
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Featured image shows from sketch generation to the final chair design. Image via Google.
