This is a collection of tested tools and resources for designing with AI. It’s regularly updated to keep up with the fast-paced innovation in AI tooling.
6 tools in rotation
Reasoning / Writing
core stack
Strategic briefs, long-form synthesis, prompt writing for coding.
Verdict
Still the clearest reasoning model we have. The $20 Pro plan is usually enough. Sonnet 5 for the default, Opus 4.8 when the work needs deeper reasoning.
Research / Reasoning / Visuals
core stack
Research, synthesis, concept development, critique, image generation, translation
Verdict
Strong for research, synthesis, and ambiguous product problems. We use it when we want breadth and multiple perspectives. Downside is the sycophantic behavior.
AI Code / Build
core stack
Front-end builds, design-to-code handoff, live iteration during client sessions. Often used in Terminal or Cursor.
Verdict
Workhorse for designer-builders, it closes the gap between Figma and shipped code without waiting on engineering. The $20 plan runs out fast, most frequent users end up on Max at $100.
AI Code Editor
in rotation
Front-end builds, design-to-code handoff, live iteration during client sessions.
Verdict
Best for line-level work where you want to see the diff before it lands, we pair it with Claude Code for active building. VS Code familiarity plus SSO and spend controls make it the easier enterprise sell.
Design / Design-to-Code
core stack
Design system source of truth, prompt-to-prototype drafts, and the token pipeline that feeds Claude Code directly.
Verdict
Design workhorse. MCP means Claude Code pulls real tokens and component structure. Make is fast for rough prototypes but ignores your design system until you clean it up.
Design / Prototyping
watching
Create interactive prototypes, visual concepts, presentations, and design systems by working conversationally with Claude.
Verdict
Potentially a very big deal. Early reviewers see its advantage less as prettier UI and more as the continuity from design intent into implementation.
AI App Builder
in rotation
Turn prompts into polished, working web apps with a strong emphasis on visual quality, speed, and easy iteration.
Verdict
Probably the easiest path from idea to credible product for designers. Faster and more design-friendly than Replit, but with less control once the app becomes technically complex.
AI App Builder
in rotation
Build, run, and deploy complete applications with AI handling front end, backend, databases, integrations, and infrastructure.
Verdict
Best when the goal is not just to prototype something, but to make the whole thing work. Less design-centric than Lovable or v0, but much stronger once a concept needs real application logic, data, and deployment.
UI / Code Generation
in rotation
Generate polished interfaces and working React front ends from prompts, screenshots, or existing product ideas.
Verdict
One of the fastest ways to turn an idea into a working UI. Particularly strong for React and modern web patterns. We use it more for exploration and front-end acceleration. Seamless Vercel integration.
AI Image Generation
core stack
Production-ready images, accurate text rendering, multi-image composition, API-driven workflows.
Verdict
The tool we reach for once a direction is chosen and needs to become a real, reusable asset. Native 4K, strong text accuracy, character consistency across a series. We like that it’s free, too!
AI Image Generation
in rotation
Concept art, mood boards, visual exploration where taste matters.
Verdict
Still the best model for a striking first image with minimal prompting, it interprets a vision rather than executing instructions literally. Weak on exact text rendering and expect several iterations.
AI Image Generation
in rotation
Concept art, mood boards, visual exploration where taste matters.
Verdict
The one to reach for when a client's legal team, not just their taste, is in the room. Trained on licensed content, with commercial use most other tools can't offer. Aesthetically behind Midjourney.
tools we dropped and why
dropped
Bolt
Still good. Lovable is easier when we want speed; Claude Code and Cursor give us more control.
dropped
Uizard
Prompt-to-UI was impressive early. Now Figma Make, Claude Design, v0 and app builders do substantially more.
dropped
Figma AI plugins
Superseded by the MCP workflow, real tokens, real component code, not a plugin guessing at both.
dropped
DALL-E
ChatGPT's image gen behind dedicated tools on generation speed and top-end aesthetics.
Reviewed quarterly. Last updated August 2026.
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