Open CoDesign — Open-Source AI Design Tool with Multi-Model Support

Introduction

Open CoDesign puts AI-powered design generation on your own machine. Instead of sending designs through third-party services, you bring your own API key for any supported model and generate UI prototypes, presentation slides, and exportable documents locally. The MIT-licensed codebase ensures full transparency and customization.

What Open CoDesign Does

• Generates web, desktop, and mobile UI prototypes from text prompts
• Creates presentation slides with consistent visual themes
• Exports to HTML, PDF, PPTX, and MP4 formats
• Supports multiple LLM providers including Claude, GPT, Gemini, Kimi, GLM, and Ollama
• Provides a desktop app via Electron and a browser-based interface

Architecture Overview

Open CoDesign is built as a TypeScript Electron app with a Vite-powered web frontend. The prompt engine parses design requests and routes them to the selected LLM provider. Generated designs render in a sandboxed preview iframe. A template system provides reusable design components and layout primitives. Export pipelines convert the rendered output to various formats using Puppeteer for PDF and HTML capture.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Requires Node.js 18+ for the web version or the Electron binary for desktop
• Bring your own API key for any supported provider via the settings panel
• For offline use, configure a local Ollama endpoint with a capable model
• Design templates are stored as JSON files and can be customized or extended
• All generated designs stay on your machine unless you choose to export

Key Features

• BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) for any supported LLM provider
• Local-first architecture with no data leaving your machine
• Multi-format export (HTML, PDF, PPTX, MP4)
• Cross-platform desktop app and web interface
• Extensible template system for consistent design output

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Claude Design — proprietary and cloud-only; Open CoDesign is open source and local-first
• Figma — manual design tool; Open CoDesign generates designs from prompts
• v0 by Vercel — generates React components; Open CoDesign targets broader design artifacts including slides and PDFs
• Penpot — collaborative design tool; Open CoDesign focuses on AI generation rather than manual drawing

FAQ

Q: Which LLM works best for design generation? A: Claude and GPT-4 class models produce the highest quality designs. Smaller local models work for simpler layouts but may struggle with complex multi-component pages.

Q: Can I use my company design system? A: Yes, you can add custom CSS themes and component templates that the AI will use as building blocks.

Q: Is the generated code production-ready? A: Generated HTML and CSS is clean and semantic, but treating it as a starting point for production rather than final output is recommended.

Q: Does it work fully offline? A: Yes, with Ollama or another local LLM provider, the entire workflow runs without internet access.

Sources

• https://github.com/OpenCoworkAI/open-codesign