DESIGN.md templates

DESIGN.md is the open format for describing a design to AI coding agents. Here are DESIGN.md files for 420 real, working designs: each one read from the design's own CSS, with its exact colours, type, spacing and components. Drop one into your project and Claude Code, Cursor, Codex or Google Stitch build every page to match.

What is DESIGN.md?

DESIGN.md is a plain text file that tells an AI agent what your product should look like. Google introduced it with its Stitch design tool and published it as an open format, still marked alpha. The file has two parts: design tokens with exact values, and short sections that explain how to use them. Agents read the tokens for precision and the prose for intent, so new pages match the design instead of drifting to a generic look.

Front matter tokens

A YAML block at the top with the exact values: colors, typography, rounded corners, spacing and components such as the primary button and cards.

Overview

What the design is for and how it should feel.

Colors, Typography, Layout

Each token explained: which colour is for actions, which size is for body text, which spacing scale to use.

Elevation, Shapes, Components

Shadows, corner radii and how buttons and cards are built.

Do's and Don'ts

The rules that stop an agent drifting: no new fonts, no new colours, keep the spacing scale.

A DESIGN.md example

The start of the DESIGN.md for the SaaS pricing page template with plan tiers. The full file continues with typography, corner radii, spacing, components and the written sections.

DESIGN.md
---
version: alpha
name: "SaaS pricing page"
colors:
  primary: "#0A0A0A"
  on-primary: "#FFFFFF"
  neutral: "#F5F5F5"
  on-surface: "#0A0A0A"
  on-surface-muted: "#4A4A4A"
  surface: "#FFFFFF"
  secondary: "#F8D2A0"

How to use a DESIGN.md file

1

Pick a design

Open any template below. Every template page with a design system has its DESIGN.md.

2

Copy the DESIGN.md

Copy the file from the template page and save it as DESIGN.md in the root of your project.

3

Point your agent to it

In Claude Code, mention it in CLAUDE.md. In Cursor, reference it in a project rule. In Codex, mention it in AGENTS.md. In Google Stitch, import it into your project.

4

Build page by page

Ask for one page at a time and tell the agent to follow DESIGN.md. Every page shares the same colours, type and spacing.

Using Claude Code? Pair DESIGN.md with our CLAUDE.md design template. Using Cursor? See the Cursor rules template. For the differences between rules files, read CLAUDE.md vs AGENTS.md vs Cursor rules.

Why start from a real design

A DESIGN.md is only as good as the design behind it. Files written from scratch often describe a look nobody has built, and agents fill the gaps with defaults. These files are read from finished designs you can open, preview and build, so the tokens work together: the colours contrast, the type scale is consistent and the spacing has been used on a real page.

Designs with a DESIGN.md

A few of the 420 designs. Open any template to copy its DESIGN.md, or browse all templates.

Not sure which design to start from?

Ask Mon, the AI design assistant, describe your product and Mon suggests the design and DESIGN.md to build it with.

Ask Mon

Every DESIGN.md comes from an original BrowserMoon design. Preview the designs and the first lines of each file; copy the full files and code with a BrowserMoon licence.

Get a licence

Frequently asked questions

What is DESIGN.md?

DESIGN.md is an open format from Google, launched with its Stitch design tool, for describing a design system to AI coding agents. It combines YAML design tokens (colours, typography, corner radii, spacing, components) with plain-language sections that explain how to use them. The format is still marked alpha.

How do I use DESIGN.md with Claude Code?

Save DESIGN.md in the root of your project and add a line to CLAUDE.md telling Claude Code to follow it for all UI work. Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md every session, so it keeps using the design.

Does Cursor read DESIGN.md?

Point Cursor to it with a project rule in .cursor/rules, or reference the file with @ in your prompt. Cursor then builds to the tokens in the file.

What is the difference between DESIGN.md and CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md?

CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md tell an agent how to work: commands, code style and rules. DESIGN.md describes what the product should look like. Use both: the rules file points to DESIGN.md for anything visual.

Are these DESIGN.md files generated from real designs?

Yes. Every file is read from the template's own CSS, so its colours, type sizes, radii and spacing are the exact values of a design you can preview and build.

Do I need a licence for the DESIGN.md files?

You can preview each file's first lines on its template page. Copying the full DESIGN.md, like the template code, needs a BrowserMoon licence.