The Architect’s Guide to design.md: Mastering Google Stitch Workflows

The traditional design handoff is dead. In the Google Stitch ecosystem, we are no longer just delivering pixels; we are delivering context. While Stitch acts as an AI-native alternative to the manual box-drawing of Figma, the most successful agencies use a hybrid flow. They use Figma to define the vision and design.md to define the logic that Stitch executes.

1. The Workflow: From Vision to Execution

To create great design in Stitch, you need a repeatable flow. Think of design.md as the source of truth that prevents the AI from hallucinating your brand rules.

Step 1: Token Harvesting (The Figma Phase)

Even if you are moving to Stitch, your brand math likely lives in Figma. You do not need to design every screen here; you just need your tokens.

• Action: Use a plugin like Style Dictionary or Token Studio to export your primary colors, spacing scales (e.g., 4px or 8px), and typography stacks.
• Result: You now have the DNA of your brand ready for translation.

Step 2: Architecture (Writing the design.md)

Create a design.md file in your project root. This file is the instruction manual for the Stitch AI agent. To ensure the LLM understands your intent perfectly, you must include four specific sections:

1. Brand Atmosphere: The emotional "vibe."
2. The Token Table: The hard numbers.
3. The No-Fly Zone: Explicit constraints.
4. Component Specs: Structural blueprints.

Step 3: Activation (The Stitch Injection)

Upload or paste your design.md into your Stitch workspace. Your first prompt must be a system alignment:

"Refer to /design.md as the primary constraint for all visual decisions. Do not use default colors or spacing. Match the vibe defined in the Brand Atmosphere section."

2. Technical Anatomy of a design.md

A high-performing design.md is machine-readable but human-authored. Use this precise structure to guide the Stitch agent:

# Design System Spec: [Project Name]

## 1. Brand Atmosphere (The Vibe)
- Aesthetic: High-end Swiss minimalism.
- Characteristics: Lots of whitespace, sharp corners, and monochromatic depth.
- Philosophy: "Clarity over Clutter."

## 2. The Token Table (The Math)
- --color-bg: #050505;
- --color-text: #FAFAFA;
- --color-accent: #0070F3;
- --spacing-base: 8px;
- --font-primary: 'Inter', sans-serif;

## 3. The No-Fly Zone (Constraints)
- NEVER use gradients or rounded corners (pill style).
- NEVER use shadows on primary buttons.
- AVOID blue-tints in grays. Use pure neutrals only.

## 4. Component Specs (The Blueprints)
### Primary Button
- Height: 48px.
- Padding: 0 24px.
- Text: All-caps, Bold, 14px.
- Hover: Background shifts to --color-accent, 200ms transition.

### Container Card
- Border: 1px solid #333.
- Radius: 0px.
- Padding: 32px.

3. Helpful Libraries to Improve Workflow

You do not have to write these files from scratch. These tools bridge the gap between Figma and your design.md:

• Style Dictionary: The gold standard for transforming Figma JSON into any format, including Markdown tables that Stitch loves.
• Tailwind Config as Source: If your project uses Tailwind, point Stitch to your tailwind.config.js. You can wrap your config values inside your design.md to give the AI a CSS-native playground.
• Figma-to-Markdown Plugins: Several community plugins allow you to select a set of colors and typography in Figma and instantly generate a formatted Markdown table.

4. Why this matters for Agencies

Agencies that rely on design.md produce vibe-consistent work. Instead of spending 5 hours manually adjusting button paddings in Figma, you spend 5 minutes defining the rule in design.md and let Stitch generate 10 variations that all look like they were made by your Lead Designer. This is the future of UI design and UX design: managing the intelligence that builds the interface.