Beyond Semantic Similarity: Open Challenges for Embedding-Based Creative Process Analysis Across AI Design Tools

Abstract: AI-based creativity support tools (CSTs) are evaluated through domain-specific metrics, limiting cross-domain comparison of creative processes. Embedding-based protocol analysis offers a potential domain-agnostic analytical layer. However, we argue that fixed embedding similarity can misrepresent creative dynamics: it may not detect creative pivots that occur within superficially similar language, treating shifts in the problem being addressed as continued elaboration. We identify three open challenges stemming from this gap: aligning similarity measures with creative significance, segmenting and representing multimodal design traces, and evaluating agentic systems where embedding-based metrics enter the generation loop and shape agent behavior. We propose context-aware interventions using LLMs as a direction for making trace analysis sensitive to session-specific creative dynamics.