Working with AI

This project explores how AI tools such as ChatGPT can work alongside traditional leathercraft to support and enhance the creative process. Beginning with a handmade dragon-inspired leather arm piece, the process involved sharing work-in-progress imagery and receiving iterative design suggestions. These included improvements to layering, edge finishing, colour palettes, and structural depth, demonstrating how AI can act as a creative partner—offering fresh perspectives while respecting the maker’s original intent and craftsmanship.

The project then expanded into character-based leatherwork with the creation of a panda figure, where AI-assisted feedback focused on proportion, expression, and surface treatment. By suggesting adjustments to features such as eye placement, muzzle shape, and overall silhouette, as well as techniques to simulate soft, plush textures using standard leather, the collaboration helped bridge the gap between traditional material constraints and contemporary design aesthetics. This highlighted AI’s ability to translate principles from toy design, sculpture, and visual storytelling into practical, craft-based improvements.

In addition to artistic development, the project also examined how AI can support the practical side of making, including pricing strategies, product variation, and market positioning within a UK context. From artisan pricing guidance to adapting designs for commissions such as Morris dancing bell pads, ChatGPT contributed to both creative and commercial decision-making. Overall, the project demonstrates how AI can complement traditional craft—not by replacing skill or experience, but by accelerating ideation, refining detail, and supporting the evolution of handmade work into distinctive, market-ready products.