What is the Google DESIGN.md format?

DESIGN.md is a structured Markdown file format created by Google to document design systems for AI consumption. It stores specific rules for colors, typography, and spacing, allowing designers to export and import these rules between projects. This ensures that AI tools have a persistent understanding of a brand's visual identity and design reasoning.

How does DESIGN.md help AI agents generate better UI?

Instead of guessing a designer's intent, AI agents use the DESIGN.md file to follow exact brand rules and validate their choices against WCAG accessibility standards, which are global guidelines for inclusive design. This structured context prevents the AI from hallucinating incorrect styles and ensures that generated user interfaces remain consistent with the established design system.

Is the DESIGN.md specification open source?

Yes, Google has open-sourced the draft specification for DESIGN.md. By making the format an open standard, Google allows any third-party tool, platform, or developer to implement the format. The specification is currently hosted on GitHub, where the community can contribute to its development and use it to build interoperable design workflows.

Where can I create and use DESIGN.md files?

You can generate and manage DESIGN.md files directly within Stitch, Google's AI-native design application. Because the format is now an open standard, you can also access the draft specification on GitHub to integrate it into your own custom tools or AI agentic workflows—systems where AI models autonomously perform multi-step tasks—enabling the seamless transfer of design rules.

Google open sources DESIGN.md to give AI agents a universal design language

Published Apr 24, 2026

Google open-sourced the draft specification for DESIGN.md, a structured Markdown format from its Stitch AI-native design tool. The format encodes brand rules, typography, and spacing into a machine-readable file. This allows AI agents to understand design reasoning rather than guessing visual intent.

This update addresses the "hallucination" problem in vibe design, where agents often ignore brand constraints or accessibility requirements. By providing a standardized "README" for visual identity, Google is creating an interoperable bridge between design systems and agentic coding tools. It follows Google's push to provide agents with structured primitives.

You can now implement this specification to ensure generated user interfaces remain on-brand. The draft is available on GitHub, and you can generate files within the Stitch web application. This enables a seamless transfer of design rules, ensuring that every AI-generated component validates against WCAG accessibility standards.

Read the full update →

Frequently asked questions

What is the Google DESIGN.md format?: DESIGN.md is a structured Markdown file format created by Google to document design systems for AI consumption. It stores specific rules for colors, typography, and spacing, allowing designers to export and import these rules between projects. This ensures that AI tools have a persistent understanding of a brand's visual identity and design reasoning.
How does DESIGN.md help AI agents generate better UI?: Instead of guessing a designer's intent, AI agents use the DESIGN.md file to follow exact brand rules and validate their choices against WCAG accessibility standards, which are global guidelines for inclusive design. This structured context prevents the AI from hallucinating incorrect styles and ensures that generated user interfaces remain consistent with the established design system.
Is the DESIGN.md specification open source?: Yes, Google has open-sourced the draft specification for DESIGN.md. By making the format an open standard, Google allows any third-party tool, platform, or developer to implement the format. The specification is currently hosted on GitHub, where the community can contribute to its development and use it to build interoperable design workflows.
Where can I create and use DESIGN.md files?: You can generate and manage DESIGN.md files directly within Stitch, Google's AI-native design application. Because the format is now an open standard, you can also access the draft specification on GitHub to integrate it into your own custom tools or AI agentic workflows—systems where AI models autonomously perform multi-step tasks—enabling the seamless transfer of design rules.

Frequently asked questions

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