AI Design Stack 2026

Every tool, prompt, and workflow to turn rough ideas into polished, working products.

The Three-Tool Stack

1. ChatGPT (or Claude) - Your Thinking Partner

Role: Vision, strategy, logic, flows, copy (everything before I design)
When to use: Start of every project, competitive analysis, feature prioritization

2. Lovable - Your Technical Co-Founder

Role: Turn prompts into real, working products (frontend + backend)
When to use: Building UI, adding auth & databases, deploying live apps

3. Figma - Design Precision & Systems

Role: Layout exploration, design systems, visual rules, component libraries
When to use: When brand matters, when you need consistency, or for specific visuals

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Choose Your Workflow

Speed-First Workflow (Ship in Hours)

Best for: MVPs, testing ideas, rapid validation, solo founders

ChatGPT → Lovable → (Optional: Figma for polish)

Philosophy: Build fast, iterate based on user feedback, polish afterwards

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Design-First Workflow (Pixel-Perfect from Day One)

Best for: Consumer products, brand-driven apps, design as competitive advantage

ChatGPT → Figma → Lovable

Philosophy: Define the brand system first, then build with consistency

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Speed-First Workflow

Perfect for non-technical founders who need to ship fast and validate ideas.

Phase 1: Strategy & Logic (ChatGPT)

Start with Three Questions:

1. Who’s it for?

2. What problem does it solve?

3. What makes it feel magical?

What to use ChatGPT for:

• Brainstorm product ideas

• Map user journeys and flows

• Define core features and prioritization

• Write onboarding, error states, and microcopy

• Challenge your assumptions

Key Prompts:

“I’m building a [product type]. What are the 5 key screens 
and what components do they need?”

“Map out a daily flow for [your product] — from open to 
[key action]. Include decisions and transitions.”

“List 5 edge cases that could break this flow, and how 
to handle each one.”

“Suggest 3 UX flows to reduce friction and increase 
activation in [your product type].”

The Handoff:

“Turn this into a Lovable-ready prompt with all the details 
needed to build the UI and backend.”

Phase 2: Build Everything (Lovable)

Go from prompt to working product in one conversation.