Google Stitch and DESIGN.md for AI coding agents

Q: How do I add the Google Stitch and DESIGN.md DESIGN.md to my project?

Download or copy the DESIGN.md file from this page and place it in your project root. Then instruct your AI agent: "Read the DESIGN.md file in this project and follow its design system when generating UI." The agent will pick it up automatically in Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, and most modern AI coding tools.

Dima Braven·May 7, 2026

Why Stitch made design memory a real product pattern.

learnstitchguidearticle

CursorClaude CodeCodexGoogle Stitch

# Google Stitch and DESIGN.md
## Product feel
Why Stitch made design memory a real product pattern.
Build for a Practical, Editorial, Clear visual taste. Keep density practical, typography strong, and layouts easy for AI agents to repeat.
## Color direction
- Primary text: #18181b
- Accent / interactive: #2563eb
- Surface: #eff6ff
- Border / separators: #93c5fd
## Typography
- Use a modern sans for body copy and a sharper display face for hero/page titles.
- Titles should feel deliberate, not shouty. Avoid oversized marketing fluff.
- Meta text should stay compact and quiet.
## Layout rules
- Prefer light UI by default.
- Use compact spacing and card grids that still feel breathable.
- Keep navigation practical: search first, then filters, then actions.
- This entry belongs to the "developer-tools" lane.
## Components
- Buttons: slightly rounded, clear hierarchy, only one primary CTA per section.
- Cards: soft border, useful metadata, preview-first composition.
- Empty states: helpful, never dead.
- Code panels: mono, dense, copy-friendly.
## Agent rules
- Do not generate generic Tailwind marketing blocks.
- Respect the palette and keep component states consistent.
- Optimize for these tools: Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, Google Stitch.
## Accessibility
- Preserve contrast for text and controls.
- Use visible focus states.
- Avoid relying on color alone for meaning.
## License
Public source

Design System Overview

The Google Stitch and design system captures the visual language of a well-known developer tools and IDEs product. This DESIGN.md file distills its color palette, typography, spacing scale, and component patterns into a format that AI coding agents can read and follow when generating UI.

Why Stitch made design memory a real product pattern.

AI agents like Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, and Google Stitch can reference this file to produce UI that visually matches the Google Stitch and aesthetic — consistent colors, proportional spacing, and recognizable component patterns — without requiring explicit pixel-by-pixel instructions for every element.

Browse more developer tools and IDEs design systems or explore the full DESIGN.md directory.

Color System

Brand palette extracted from the design system. Click any swatch to copy the hex value.

Text / Primary

#18181b

Accent

#2563eb

Surface / Background

#eff6ff

Border / Subtle

#93c5fd

Typography Specimen

Display

2.8rem / 700 / 1.04

The quick brown fox

Heading H1

2rem / 700 / 1.1

The quick brown fox jumps

Heading H2

1.5rem / 600 / 1.15

The quick brown fox jumps over

Heading H3

1.125rem / 600 / 1.2

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy

Body

1rem / 400 / 1.5

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

Small / Caption

0.75rem / 400 / 1.5

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog and sat down.

Monospace

const primary = "System";

Layout & Spacing Tokens

Spacing Scale

space-14px

space-28px

space-312px

space-416px

space-624px

space-832px

space-1248px

space-1664px

Border Radius

radius-none0px

radius-sm4px

radius-md8px

radius-lg16px

radius-xl24px

radius-full9999px

Elevation & Shadow

Flatshadow-none

XSshadow-xs

SMshadow-sm

MDshadow-md

LGshadow-lg

XLshadow-xl

Use with AI Coding Agents

Copy one of these prompts into your AI coding agent to apply the Google Stitch and DESIGN.md design system to your project. The DESIGN.md file in your repo root is the source of truth.

# .cursor/rules (or DESIGN.md)
You are working in a project that uses the Google Stitch and DESIGN.md design system.

Read the DESIGN.md file in this project root and follow it strictly when generating UI.
Match the brand's exact colors, typography, spacing scale, and border radius.
Do not create generic Tailwind UI — apply the visual language from DESIGN.md.

Key rules:
- Use the defined color palette, not arbitrary hex values
- Apply the correct font family and weight scale
- Follow spacing tokens (4/8/12/16/24/32px scale)
- Match component patterns: buttons, cards, inputs, badges as specified

Rippling

Workforce management platform. Dense, enterprise, modern.

View DESIGN.md

Dribbble

Design community and portfolio. Soft, creative, colorful.

View DESIGN.md

Cursor

AI-first code editor. Dark, minimal, keyboard-centric devtool.

View DESIGN.md

Pika

AI video creation. Dark, creative, gen-AI aesthetic.

View DESIGN.md

Spline

3D design tool for web. Dark, 3D-native aesthetic.

View DESIGN.md

Deel

Global payroll and compliance. Clean enterprise SaaS.

View DESIGN.md

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the Google Stitch and DESIGN.md DESIGN.md with Cursor, Claude Code, or Codex?

Yes. Copy the DESIGN.md file into your project root and reference it in your agent rules. For Cursor, add it to .cursor/rules. For Claude Code, include it as CLAUDE.md. For Codex, add it to your system prompt. The agent will read it and apply the Google Stitch and DESIGN.md visual system to any UI it generates.

Is this an official Google Stitch and DESIGN.md file?

No — this is an independent reference created for AI coding agent compatibility. It is not officially endorsed by Google Stitch and DESIGN.md. The visual system was analyzed and documented to help AI agents produce UI that matches the Google Stitch and DESIGN.md aesthetic. Always verify against official Google Stitch and DESIGN.md documentation.

What is a DESIGN.md file?

A DESIGN.md file is a Markdown document that describes a product's visual design system in a format that AI coding agents can read and follow. It captures color palettes, typography, spacing, component patterns, and usage rules — giving AI agents like Cursor, Claude Code, and Codex a source of truth for consistent UI generation.

Can I use the Google Stitch and DESIGN.md color tokens and visual style in my own project?

The design tokens and visual patterns documented here are for reference and AI agent guidance. If you are building a project inspired by the Google Stitch and DESIGN.md visual style, ensure your use is consistent with Google Stitch and DESIGN.md's brand guidelines and any applicable trademark or copyright rules. This file helps AI agents understand a style — it does not grant license to use proprietary brand assets.

How do I add this to my project?

Download the DESIGN.md file (requires free account) and place it in your project root. Then tell your AI agent to read it: "Read the DESIGN.md file in this project and follow its design system when generating UI." The agent will pick it up automatically in most modern AI coding tools.