Exploring User Experience and Affect to Enhance Creative Artificial Intelligence Systems

In recent years, Creative Artificial Intelligence Systems (CAIS) have transformed the nature of creative practices. This transformation has created a need for research on the importance of the human collaborator, the user experience (UX) and practical applications of CAIS.This dissertation addresses the need for research in this respect through three interrelated studies, that focus on supporting the collaboration between users and CAIS in the generation of creative artefacts. The first study investigates the adaptation of a research based autonomous CAIS within a practical design environment from a UX design perspective. This study focuses heavily on redefining modes of creative practice through co-creation with the system. The second and third studies broadly explore the role of affect in the creative process. Specifically, they focus on integrating an affective model within CAIS to acknowledge artistic intention and support the user's reflection and emotional expression throughout the creative process. These studies inform the future design and possible practical applications of CAIS within various domains, such as interactive art, art education, health & well-being and movement visualization.This dissertation enriches our understanding of practical uses of CAIS by emphasizing the role of the human collaborator through an exploration of affect and UX principles.