Designers, it’s time we talk about something exciting: vibe coding. If you’re like me, a software designer with deep UX roots but limited hands-on coding experience, you’ve probably felt the gap between your ideas and bringing them to life through code. The good news? Modern AI tools are bridging this gap. Vibe coding for designers means we can now turn our thoughtful designs directly into functional prototypes and even fully-fledged web apps.
What is Vibe Coding, Anyway?
Vibe coding is a collaborative approach to software development where you work interactively with AI coding assistants. Instead of writing every line of code yourself—or simply handing your design off to a developer—you converse with AI tools, guiding them through your vision, requirements, and design decisions. Think of it as pair programming with an AI partner who does the heavy lifting while you guide the creative and strategic direction.
Getting Started: Slow and Steady
The first and most important piece of advice I can share from my experience: go slow. It’s tempting to jump straight into building your app, especially when AI makes it look easy. But as designers new to modern app coding, explicitly telling the AI you’re a beginner can dramatically improve the experience. This prompts the AI to offer clearer explanations, avoid complex jargon, and provide simpler implementation suggestions.
For instance, when I’m using ChatGPT, I start the session by clearly stating:
“I’m a designer with limited coding experience. Please explain each step clearly and simply as we go.”
This sets the tone and ensures the AI responds with explanations tailored to your learning level.
The Benefit of Learning as You Build
Using AI for vibe coding offers a unique learning opportunity. As the AI builds your app, ask questions about what’s happening behind the scenes. Questions like:
- “Why are we using this framework?”
- “How does this piece of code interact with that database?”
- “Can you clarify the logic here?”
Not only will you end up with a functioning app, but you’ll also deepen your understanding of modern software architecture.
Vibe Coding for Designers: The Time is Now
We’re entering an era where the traditional lines between roles in product development teams are increasingly blurred. Designers, with our innate ability to critically evaluate user workflows, prioritize meaningful features, and meticulously polish UI, are exceptionally positioned to leverage vibe coding effectively.
Here’s why this matters:
- Shift in Team Dynamics: Future development teams may look different, emphasizing cross-functional roles. Designers capable of contributing functional apps or high-fidelity prototypes will become invaluable.
- Rapid Prototyping & Iteration: AI-assisted development dramatically speeds up the prototyping phase. By leveraging our UX expertise, we can iterate rapidly on designs and immediately see their impact, refining solutions in near real-time.
- Ownership of Implementation: Understanding the implementation side—even if AI handles the coding—allows us to make informed design decisions, ultimately creating stronger, more user-centered products.
My Current Favorite Stack
To make vibe coding accessible, I’ve streamlined a personal workflow that I’d like to share:
- ChatGPT: For initial conversations around product vision, feature prioritization, and implementation strategy. It’s excellent for fleshing out ideas and clarifying functionality.
- Cursor: This tool is my go-to for actual implementation. It’s specifically optimized for coding interactions, seamlessly turning my clarified product ideas into working code.
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Exploring Lovable and Bolt.new: Although I haven’t started using Lovable or Bolt.new yet, they are intriguing front-end-focused AI tools I’m planning to explore soon. Lovable aims to generate user-friendly, polished UI directly from textual descriptions, and Bolt.new is designed to quickly scaffold and set up applications. I’m excited to see how these tools could further complement and expand my vibe coding toolkit.
Designers: Embrace the Change
It can feel intimidating to step into the coding space traditionally reserved for developers. But here’s the reality—our design background gives us an advantage. We inherently think in user flows, prioritize based on value, and have an eye for detail that is crucial in software development. Vibe coding simply empowers us to implement directly and experiment more freely.
Embracing this new approach not only helps you build your own ideas but positions you strongly in a rapidly evolving industry. Whether you’re prototyping, validating ideas quickly with clients, or exploring entirely new design concepts, vibe coding provides the perfect balance of creative control and technical feasibility.
I’m still practicing and experimenting with vibe coding and discovering what works best. But early results are promising, and the learning journey itself has been incredibly rewarding.
Have you tried vibe coding or similar AI-driven approaches? I’m genuinely curious about your experiences, challenges, and tips. Let’s navigate this exciting future together, combining our strengths as designers with powerful AI tools.
Ready to vibe code your next app?