I Tested Google's Figma Killer — Google Stitch, the Vibe Design Tool
Mike Codeur
Google just released a tool that could change how we design apps. It's called Stitch, it's free, and the concept is simple: you describe what you want in natural language, and the AI generates a complete interface — not wireframes, but real designs with components, colors, and typography. With real code underneath.
I tested everything live. Here's my honest take.
What is Google Stitch?
Stitch is a Google Labs project. Originally it was Galileo AI, which Google acquired and rebranded. The concept has a name: "Vibe Design" — the design equivalent of "Vibe Coding."
In practice:
- You describe your app in natural language
- Stitch generates a high-fidelity UI (not wireframes)
- You can export to code (React, HTML/CSS)
- It's free (Google Labs)
- Target audience: devs who don't want to touch Figma, founders without designers, rapid prototyping
March 18, 2026 Updates
Stitch just received a major update:
Infinite Canvas
Complete interface redesign. No more screen limitations — you work on an infinite canvas like Figma or Miro.
Design Agent
An AI agent that reasons about the entire project, not just screen by screen. It understands your app's global context for more coherent results.
Agent Manager
Work on multiple ideas in parallel. Each idea gets its own agent.
DESIGN.md — The CLAUDE.md of Design
This is the concept that interested me the most. DESIGN.md is a markdown file that describes your design system — exportable and importable between projects and tools.
If you use Claude Code, you know the CLAUDE.md concept: a file that gives the AI context about your project. DESIGN.md does exactly the same thing, but for design.
It's a great idea because it's:
- Human-readable (it's markdown)
- AI-readable (Claude Code, Cursor, Gemini CLI)
- Portable between projects
- Versionable with Git
Voice Mode
You talk to the canvas, it modifies in real-time. "Give me 3 menu options", "switch to dark mode palette" — it's impressive when it works.
Interactive Prototyping
You can "Stitch" screens together, click Play, and test the navigation flow. No need to leave the tool.
MCP Server + SDK
Stitch becomes an MCP server (Model Context Protocol). This means you can connect Stitch directly to Claude Code, Cursor, or Gemini CLI.
In theory, you can prompt "design this page for me" from your terminal and Stitch generates the UI. It's the direct bridge between coding agents and design.
My Honest Take
What's Good
- Free — no freemium, no credits, it's Google Labs
- Ultra-fast prototyping — in 2 minutes you have a clean UI
- DESIGN.md — excellent concept, agent-friendly
- MCP Server — direct bridge to coding agents
- Code export — real React/HTML, not just images
What's Not Great
- Slow — generations take time, the interface is heavy
- Output isn't production-ready — needs cleanup, it's a starting point
- No custom design system — you can't map your existing components
- Frequent bugs — black screen, "Stitch unavailable", it's Google Labs
- No real-time collaboration — not mature for team work
- Google Graveyard risk — we all know how Google Labs projects end... 👀
The Real Dev Angle
For a solo dev or small team, Stitch can replace the classic "I'll just make an ugly HTML design" with something clean in 2 minutes.
The DESIGN.md + MCP combo is particularly interesting: you define your design system in markdown, Stitch generates the UI, and Claude Code implements the code. Everything in markdown, everything versionable, everything agent-friendly.
It's not a Figma Killer today. But it's a preview of what AI-assisted design will become.
Useful Links
📩 I cover AI tools for devs every week in The Agentic Dev → http://mkc.sh/the-agentic-dev?utm_source=blog