Vibe coding is a hot word in the AI industry right now, allowing you to create apps, games and websites just by talking to a chatbot using natural language. Now Google wants you to do just that with Stitch, Google Labs’ AI user interface design platform. Don’t code for vibe: Google prefers “vibe design.”
Announced last week, the latest version of Stitch brings new features that promise to make designing your mobile or web app easier without any technical knowledge.
Instead of building with traditional wireframes, you can simply say what you want the app to look like, describe the feeling or atmosphere you want the design to produce, or give it your business goals. No matter how you describe it, Stitch will translate it and produce the design for you.
This type of flexibility will allow you to get your creative juices flowing without being too realistic. Solid information goes a long way, though, and you can work with Stitch in any fashion you choose.
Stitch is multimodal, meaning you can use text or your voice to design. With Gemini models, you can use natural language when designing, which can be useful if you are not familiar with design jargon. The agent will provide real-time design critiques, making AI an active partner in the process.
Don’t like the placement or color of a certain element in your design? Just tell Stitch, “move the button to the other side,” or “change the menu color to orange,” and you’re done. Stitch is in beta and may not have flawless functionality, but the time it can save in the design process is amazing.
Stitch is also now more flexible, and you can use your designs in other projects you’ve made in Stitch. Google says you can export the design system from any URL or use DESIGN.md, an agent-friendly markup file to import and export your design rules.
Stitch created a beautiful website in minutes
Stiche generated this entire website with one command.
I decided to give Stitch a try by having it create a random website, and I came away impressed. I’m not a designer and I wouldn’t say I have a “designer’s eye,” but I asked Stitch to create a botanical apothecary website that would showcase different plants, designed in a Victorian Gothic style.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was impressed not only by its ability to create multiple pages, or “screens” of what could be a mobile app or website, but by the overall structure and consistency of my original content. Although the main culprit was filler content consisting of AI-generated images and text that had to be replaced with your own, the resulting website looked great. There were also pages that I thought were unnecessary, but could have been fixed with specific instructions. And it’s easy enough to edit or delete individual elements or entire pages. When a design is created, “screens” will appear to show you what you will see when you are in a certain viewing area of an app or website.
Stitch produced a color palette that I wasn’t a fan of, so I asked them to create another using my chosen colors. It did a good job creating a new palette, but problems started creeping in, reflecting its “beta” status.
New screens will stick to “production,” and sometimes new screens will use the old color palette. All of these issues were easy enough to fix, but it’s clear that some kinks still need to be ironed out.
I didn’t go into all the features — I didn’t even know where to start– but Stitch has the feel of other DIY website builders, but with AI on its side and design at its heart. It should come as no surprise that Figma’s stock fell shortly after Google’s announcement. If this is Stitch in beta, who knows how good it will be when it’s fully built.
