Google Labs has overhauled its Stitch tool into a full AI-native design canvas, introducing what it calls "vibe design" — a workflow where designers describe goals and feelings instead of building wireframes.

What Changed

The updated Stitch ships with a complete UI redesign built around an infinite canvas. Users drop in any combination of text prompts, screenshots, code snippets, or competitor UI references, and a new design agent synthesizes them into high-fidelity interface designs.

Key additions include:

  • Design agent: Reasons across a project's full history, handles layout decisions, generates PRDs, and critiques builds on request
  • Voice interaction: Speak directly to the canvas to make real-time adjustments without typing
  • DESIGN.md: An agent-friendly markdown file that exports a project's design system — compatible with Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and Cursor for seamless handoff to coding tools
  • Agent Manager: Tracks parallel design directions so teams can explore multiple concepts simultaneously

Stitch can export completed designs directly to Figma format or generate React app scaffolding. The service offers 350 free monthly generations.

Market Reaction

Figma shares dropped roughly 8% on March 18 after Google positioned Stitch as a direct competitor with native design-to-code export. Analysts noted that Stitch's MCP server integration with popular coding assistants could shift how product teams move from design to production code.

The update reflects a broader Google push to own more of the software development pipeline, following the Antigravity-powered AI Studio vibe coding release earlier the same week.