Marziah Zad in collaboration with Eduardo Rico Held the “Design Empowerment” seminar at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC). The seminar explored the role of Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI generative tools in empowering communities through participatory design processes.
Structured around the “6 I’s of Design Empowerment”—Information, Inspiration, Ideation, Inclusion, Integration, and Independence—the course engaged students in working with urban data, identifying local patterns, and responding to real urban challenges. A central component of the seminar involved designing participatory games as tools for empathy, behavioral insight, and public engagement in shaping living environments.
You can explore the projects developed within the Master in Urban Programming and Data Analytics 01 (2024–2025) program at IAAC through the link below.