Koafa: AI Product Ideation for the Koala Inspired Sofas

By Tojin T. Eapen

We utilized AI tools such as chatGPT and Stable Diffusion to generate concept sofas, or "Koafas," that are inspired by koalas. The goal of this project was to explore how AI can be effectively used in the product ideation process.

To begin, we utilized chatGPT to generate descriptions of product concepts. These descriptions were then used as prompts for the text-to-image converter, which created visual representations of the Koafas based on the provided descriptions. This allowed us to systematically generate a wide range of Koafa concepts for analysis and evaluation.

The prompt we provided for the creation of Koafas was as follows: "Create an image of a sofa that is inspired by a koala, with a plush, fuzzy cover, a back that resembles a koala's head and ears, curved and padded arms that mimic a koala's arms and legs, and a built-in pocket or compartment on one side, similar to a koala's pouch." This prompt was used to guide the AI in generating concepts that were both realistic and imaginative, providing us with a diverse range of Koafa concepts to evaluate.

After carefully examining hundreds of AI-generated Koafas, we have compiled a list of the top 20 most adorable and the 10 least adorable concepts. Our selection process was thorough and included an evaluation of various factors such as appearance, presumed functionality, and overall appeal.

Adorable #20: Koafa Bigear

Adorable #19: Koafa Flatfoot

Adorable #18: Koafa Cuddles

Adorable #17: Koafa Casual

Adorable #16: Koafa Snuggle

Adorable #15: Koafa Island

Adorable #14: Koafa Strongman

Adorable #13: Koafa Peekaboo

Adorable #12: Koafa Coolista

Adorable #11: Koafa Lounger

Adorable #10: Koafa Sibling-Rivals

Adorable #9: Koafa Fuzzy

Adorable #8: Koafa Stoic

Adorable #7: Koafa Caper

Adorable #6: Koafa Reticent

Adorable #5: Koafa Float

Adorable #4: Koafa Snooze

Adorable #3: Koafa Generosity

Adorable #2: Koafa Curiosity

Adorable #1: Koafa Chef

Here are the top 10 least adorable (according to us!) Koafas that we selected from the generated designs.

Unadorable #1: Koafa Koaleric

Unadorable #2: Koafa Bugbear

Unadorable #3: Koafa Plaintiff

Unadorable #4: Koafa Stranger

Unadorable #5: Koafa Sleepyhead

Unadorable #6: Koafa Grumpa

Unadorable #7: Koafa Hubris

Unadorable #8: Koafa Earmuffin

Unadorable #9: Koafa Scratch

Unadorable #10: Koafa Overbear

We also used similar prompts to generate Koafa concepts using Midjourney, another popular text-to-image convertor. One prompt simply requested for a "sofa inspired by a koala," and generated the following concepts:

Another prompt included detailed descriptions of the functional features of the Koafa. This request generated the following concepts: 

This post is part of a series of articles on the use of generative AI for bioinspired product ideation. The use of AI for product concept generation allows for the quick creation of many potentially novel designs, which could then be evaluated and refined to select the most promising concepts to move to the next stage of the product development process.

To learn how leading Fortune Global 500 companies such as ABB, Bosch, Google, Samsung, and NetApp have used Innomantra's Functional Innovation Methodology to turbocharge their idea management process, schedule a meeting today at calendly.com/innomantra.