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It’s critical to understand how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to foster innovation in the modern world as AI becomes more integrated into creative and problem-solving tasks. Using the sustainable washing machine as a primary example, this study designed and developed AI design assistant AIDA as a web-based chatbot to facilitate design ideation, leveraging large language models. AIDA prompts design tasks and assesses user-generated ideas for validity, novelty, and feasibility using RoBERTa-based models. As in the initial phase of an ongoing project, we conducted a human-subject experiment to validate a baseline version of AIDA and examined user performance and perceptions. The participants demonstrated smooth interaction with AIDA and consistent performance. They reported mostly positive perceived usefulness, enjoyment, and trust. Moreover, females and participants equal to or over 25 showed a comparable level of trust for general automated systems and AIDA, whereas male and under 25 participants were more skeptical about AIDA. This research offers a framework for technical development, tailored interactions, and real-time feedback, as well as insights into the use of AI chatbots to mediate engineering design. By analyzing user behavior and survey responses, we identified future directions in designing AI systems in engineering education and early-stage design.