---
name: OpenDesign
slug: open-design
url: "https://dontmakeitugly.com/resources/open-design"
website: "https://open-design.ai"
github: "https://github.com/nexu-io/open-design"
type: tool
categories:
  - agent-resources
  - tools
tags:
  - open-source
  - desktop-app
  - claude-code
  - codex
  - cursor
  - byok
  - prototypes
  - slides
  - export
frameworks:
  - agnostic
pricing: free
license: Apache-2.0
openSource: true
agentFriendly: excellent
agentAccessMethods:
  - github
  - public_web
  - documentation
difficulty: intermediate
dateAdded: "2026-09-04"
lastVerified: "2026-09-04"
---

# OpenDesign

An open-source desktop app that turns your existing coding agent into a design tool.

- Type: Tool
- Categories: Agent Resources, Tools
- Pricing: Free · License: Apache-2.0
- Open source: yes
- Works with: Framework agnostic

## What it is

OpenDesign is a local-first desktop application that puts a design workspace in front of a coding agent you already pay for. It drives Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI and around twenty other command-line agents through your own API keys, and produces real files: prototypes, landing pages, dashboards, slides, images and video, exporting to HTML, PDF, PPTX and MP4. It ships with a library of design systems and plugins. Apache-2.0 licensed, with roughly 94,000 stars on GitHub.

## Why it's here

The pitch is that you already have a capable agent and a subscription, so the missing piece is a canvas rather than another model. Because it runs locally on your own keys there's no separate subscription, which makes it a cheap thing to try. It moves fast and it's a desktop app rather than a web page, so expect rough edges and read the repo before installing.

## Best for

- designing with an agent you already have
- prototypes and landing pages
- slides and exports

## Links

- Website: https://open-design.ai
- GitHub: https://github.com/nexu-io/open-design

## Can my agent use this?

Yes, and it's built around that. It drives your existing agent CLI rather than replacing it, so you bring your own Anthropic, OpenAI or Google key and pay only for tokens. The source is on GitHub under Apache-2.0, so an agent can read exactly how it prompts and what it writes to disk.

Agent friendliness: Excellent. Public docs, public source or an installable package. An agent can read, install and implement this directly.
Access methods: GitHub, Public website, Docs.

## Prompt to hand your agent

```text
Use OpenDesign as a design and implementation reference for this project.

What it is: An open-source desktop app that turns your existing coding agent into a design tool.

Website: https://open-design.ai
GitHub: https://github.com/nexu-io/open-design

Use it specifically for:
- designing with an agent you already have
- prototypes and landing pages
- slides and exports

How you can access it: GitHub, Public website, Docs.
Works with: Framework agnostic.
License: Apache-2.0. Respect it.

Study the relevant design and implementation patterns, but adapt them to this project's existing architecture, visual language, accessibility requirements and conventions. Do not blindly copy the entire resource.
```

## Related

- [TypeUI](https://dontmakeitugly.com/resources/typeui.md): Design skills, UI prompts and a shared design system, handed to your agent over MCP.
- [v0](https://dontmakeitugly.com/resources/v0.md): Vercel's generative UI tool: describe a screen, get a shadcn/ui implementation.
- [Anthropic Skills](https://dontmakeitugly.com/resources/anthropic-skills.md): Anthropic's public skills repository, including skills for front-end and design work.
- [Vercel Agent Skills](https://dontmakeitugly.com/resources/vercel-agent-skills.md): Installable skills that teach agents React, Next.js and web design best practices.

OpenDesign is an independent resource listed by Don't Make It Ugly. We link to it; we aren't affiliated with it. Pricing and licence details are as understood at the time of listing; check the official site.