Vibe coding is a hot word in the AI industry right now, allowing you to create apps, games and websites just by talking to a chatbot using natural language. Now Google wants you to do that with Stitch, Google Labs' AI user interface design platform. Just don't call it vibe coding: Google prefers "vibe design."

Announced last week, the latest version of Stitch brings new features that promise to make designing your own mobile or web application easy without any of the technical know-how. 

Instead of building with traditional wireframes, you can just say what you want the app to look like, describe a feeling or mood you want the design to produce, or even give it your own business objectives. However you describe it, Stitch will interpret it and get to generating a design for you. 

This type of flexibility will allow you to get your creative juices flowing without having to be so exact. A solid prompt goes a long way, though, and you can work with Stitch in any fashion you choose. 

Stitch is multimodal, meaning you can use either text or your own voice to design. With Gemini models, you can use natural language when making edits, which could be helpful if you're not savvy with design jargon. The agent will provide design critiques in real time, making AI a collaborative partner in the process. 

Don't like the placement or color of something in your design? Just tell Stitch, "move the button to the other side," or "change the menu color to orange," and you're done. Stitch is in beta and may not always have flawless execution, but the time it can potentially save in the design process is impressive. 

Stitch is also now more flexible, and you can apply your designs to other projects you've made in Stitch. Google says you can extract a design system from any URL or use DESIGN.md, an agent-friendly markdown file to import and export your design rules. 

Stitch created a gorgeous website in a few minutes

I decided to try Stitch by having it create a random website, and I walked away impressed. I'm no designer and would never say I have a "designer's eye," but I asked Stitch to create a botanical apothecary website that would showcase different plants, designed in a Victorian Gothic style. 

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was impressed not only by its ability to construct multiple pages, or "screens" for what would be the mobile app or website, but by the overall layout and adherence to my original prompt. Although it was mostly filler content consisting of AI-generated images and text meant to be replaced with your own, the generated website looked great. There were also some pages that I thought were a bit unnecessary, but that could have been remedied with a more specific prompt. It's also easy enough to edit or delete individual elements or entire pages. When the design is being created, "screens" will appear to show you what you'll see when you're on a specific view of an app or website. 

Stitch generated a color palette that I wasn't a fan of, so I asked it to create another one using colors of my choosing. It did a good job creating the new palette, but the issues began to creep in, showing off its "beta" status. 

New screens would be stuck at "generating," and sometimes the new screens would use the old color palette. All of these issues were easy enough to fix, but it's clear some kinks still need to be worked out. 

I didn't dive into all of the features -- I wouldn't even know where to begin-- but Stitch has the feel of some DIY website builders, but with AI on its side and design at its heart. It should come as no surprise that Figma's stock plunged shortly after Google's announcement. If this is Stitch in beta, who knows how good it'll be when fully built out.