From May 7 to 9, Aroma hosted three AI Awareness Workshops on the role of generative artificial intelligence in the creative industry. The format was initiated by the Polydesign3D professional association and conceived and implemented by the creative agency Aroma. The goal was to provide participants—including association members as well as creatives from education, agencies, and design practice—with a well-founded and hands-on introduction to the topic of artificial intelligence.
Three perspectives, one common goal
The workshops were led by an interdisciplinary team from Aroma, bringing in different viewpoints on the subject:
Alexander Naumer, Consultant | Senior Project Manager at Aroma, provided in-depth content and technological context on AI.
Marco Böni, Project Manager and Moderator, guided participants through the workshops in an interactive and dialogue-oriented format.
Carlotta Sordo, Apprentice in Polydesign3D at Aroma and representative of the next generation in the Polydesign3D field, contributed the perspective of learners and emerging creatives.
After the workshops, we invited the three of them to share their reflections: on insights, surprises, and their personal perspectives on AI in the creative industry.
What was your motivation to organize this workshop together—and why now?
At Aroma, we have been working with GenAI for several years—across conception, production, and realization. In other words, in all the areas covered by the Polydesign3D association. And surely, we are not the only ones at Aroma doing this. Large Language Models have revolutionized the entire industry and workplace and can no longer be ignored in today’s world.
The creative industry is fundamentally affected in its ways of working by GenAI. Yet within the industry, there is far too little discussion and exchange taking place. That is why it was important to us to share and pass on this knowledge, along with the project-level experiences we have gained over the past four years.
Alex, you’ve been working with AI for years. During these workshop days, was there still a moment that surprised or newly inspired you?
Absolutely. What surprised me most was the enormous range of prior knowledge among participants. We had everyone—from AI specialists and university lecturers to people who had never (consciously) worked with AI before. The fact that the gap was so wide, even though tools like ChatGPT now have over 800 million active users per week (as of May 2025), was quite a challenge. At the same time, it was incredibly inspiring to design a workshop that was super accessible for beginners while still offering new impulses for the more advanced.
Marco, you moderated the discussions. What impressed you most about the participants’ questions or reactions?
Even though the range of prior knowledge was broad, the interactive parts of the workshop were very well received. Exciting solution ideas emerged about how AI can be applied. The active participation during the games led to funny moments of shared laughter, which I really appreciated. They were wonderful afternoons.
Carlotta, as a representative of the Next Gen in the P3D field: what excited you most, and what perhaps made you reflect?
What excited me most was discovering just how many different AI tools already exist. I’m looking forward to trying them out and working with them. What made me reflect was realizing how much—and how quickly—my daily work with AI has changed from my first to my fourth year of apprenticeship. It makes me wonder what the future will look like, especially since I can well imagine staying in this profession.
Alex, what makes this workshop different from classic AI introductions or software trainings?
From the industry, for the industry. Real project case studies, interactive, engaging—and with the three best moderators.
How do the three of you ensure that participants leave the workshop not overwhelmed, but encouraged and inspired?
Through a variety of challenges where participants actively engage and discover new tools in a playful way, the workshop stays dynamic and enjoyable. Theoretical content is delivered in short segments before or after the challenges and directly linked to the tool being used at that moment. In addition, there are regular quizzes with a live ranking. At the end of the workshop, the top participants are rewarded not only with fame and glory but also with a small prize—which, of course, adds extra motivation.
Alex and Carlotta, how is AI concretely changing the profession and training in Polydesign 3D?
In the future, politics and professional associations should place greater emphasis on media literacy training, so that learners gain guided access to such technologies. There needs to be an explanation of the advantages, but also of the risks—and how individuals can use the technology for themselves.
Carlotta, how do you perceive the openness to AI topics in your generation and within the association? Is it more curiosity, hesitation, or both?
There is definitely interest and curiosity. However, information sources are lacking. I agree with Alex: the curriculum does not yet address this topic and should introduce it in classes soon. Many of my classmates have no access to AI because their training companies don’t work with it.
Alex, what role does responsibility play in dealing with AI?
At Aroma, responsibility in dealing with AI means two things: education and data protection. For example, every employee has access to our local Aroma AI “CHAI,” which reflects our values and learns from user input. All inputs remain on servers within our own “four walls” and don’t need to be sent to America or China for processing. At the same time, we create room for participation by actively involving employees in shaping how AI is integrated at Aroma. Those who can help define the “how” are more likely to see AI as a creative partner rather than a threat to their profession.
This is also reflected in the way we define our LLMs: in their system prompts, they are described as “creative sparring partners and valuable colleagues,” not just as tools.
This perspective allows us to take a different approach to artificial intelligence—not blindly outsourcing thinking and concept development, but instead working with a creative, smart, and long-term “team member” that can be brought into processes and projects at any time.
Alex, last but not least, which skills will be essential in the future—and which will lose relevance?
In a world that is changing so quickly, it’s difficult to look too far ahead. But in the long run, I’m convinced that independent and interconnected thinking—the kind needed to critically question topics (and outputs)—will be the key component on the path to meaningful and successful co-creation with artificial intelligence.
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