FURTHER READING
Further Reading for Kilo
Tutorials, documentation and walkthroughs for designing with Kilo, as listed in the published guide.
Kilo 
OpenDesign Design With
Kilo in
OpenDesign.
How to design interfaces with Kilo Code in OpenDesign: the model you choose, your own rules and modes, one product-page task from screenshot to reviewed file, and the limits to know before you start.
From brief to interface01 / Kilo
YOU BRING THE IDEA↗
“A product page from a screenshot,
with whichever model I choose.”
THREE WAYS INTO THIS KILO GUIDE
Choose Where to Start With Kilo
THIS GUIDE · UI DESIGN
Build a Product Interface With Kilo
This guide: brief, references, design rules and a reviewed HTML result.
Read this guide SETUPSet Up Kilo From Zero
Here is the full path from a clean machine to a Kilo Code that can build and verify UI.
Go to setup COMPARISONCompare Kilo With Other Agents
How Kilo differs from Codex, Claude Code, Cursor for design work, and when to choose another workflow.
See the comparisonOn This Page Example
One Complete Kilo Design Task
A Kilo Design Task, From Brief to Interface
A single task, shown end to end: the brief and constraints you hand over, the artifact that comes back, and the checks you still run before it is done. The interface below is an illustrative example built for this page, not a recorded Kilo run.
1Design Brief and Constraints
BriefDesign a product detail page for an outdoor brand from the attached screenshot: gallery, price, size and colour options, add to bag, and related products. Desktop and phone.
- Design systemOpenDesign paper canvas: Albert Sans, one green accent
- Breakpoints1440px desktop and 390px mobile, no horizontal scroll
- InteractionsGallery thumbnails, option selection, add to bag, related scroll
- OutputOne self-contained HTML file with stable
data-od-idhooks
2Division of Work: You, Kilo and OpenDesign
- You
Write the brief, select the design system and define the acceptance criteria.
- Kilo
Plans the layout, writes the HTML, CSS and JavaScript and revises it on request.
- OpenDesign
Provides the design system and skill, renders the preview and stores every version as a file in the project.
- Review
Visual hierarchy, spacing on the 8px grid, both breakpoints and every interaction are checked before handoff.
3Kilo Artifact: The Product Page at 1440px and 390px
4Review Before Handoff
Layout
Grid and Spacing
Gallery and info on the 8px grid; the info column never exceeds the gallery height at 1440.
Hierarchy
Visual Hierarchy
Name, price, then options; the accent marks the add-to-bag button only.
Responsive
Mobile Layout
Gallery first, then name and price, options, a full-width button; related products scroll.
Interaction
Interaction Checks
Switch a thumbnail, pick a size, add to bag, scroll related items.
Fit
When Kilo Fits the Task, and When It Does Not
Kilo Fits When
- Model-agnostic screenshot → UI. Drive it with the vision-capable model that best turns a reference image into responsive markup, and check the result against it.
- BYOK across providers. Bring your own keys for Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, OpenRouter, and more — or use Kilo's gateway — so cost and credentials stay yours.
- Modes + custom rules + MCP. Plan in Architect mode, build in Code mode, carry conventions in custom rules, and bring real design context via the Figma MCP server.
- Open source. Inspect every prompt and context payload; nothing is hidden, and the agent runs in your IDE or CLI.
Choose Another Workflow When
- You need editable vector files. The artifact is HTML, not an editable design document. Check a separate vector workflow for your required asset format.
- You have no reference and no constraints. Without a design system or examples the output tends toward a generic look; write the brief first.
- You do not have the credential this agent needs. Required: Your own provider API key (bring your own key) or Kilo's gateway. OpenDesign does not provide or proxy credentials.
- Your team works in OpenCode or Aider. Those agents have their own pages; the workspace is the same, the setup differs. See related agents.
Compatibility
Kilo Requirements Before You Start
This guide covers Kilo as connected through the OpenDesign desktop app. Published references checked on 6 September 2026.
Tool ScopeKilo, by Kilo Code, Inc.
Kilo Code is an open-source AI coding agent from Kilo Code, Inc. It runs in VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and the terminal, reading your codebase, editing files, and running commands. This page is about designing interfaces with Kilo through OpenDesign, not about Kilo’s own interface. OpenDesign’s setup notes list the available agents.
Accounts and AuthenticationYour own provider API key (BYOK) or Kilo's
Your own provider API key (BYOK) or Kilo's gateway. Authenticate with your own provider key (BYOK) or Kilo's gateway — credentials stay on your machine. This page does not promise a quota or price.
System and VersionsDesktop app or source
Check the download page for desktop builds. The Node.js and pnpm requirements in the source quickstart apply to running from source, not to installing a desktop package. Minimum compatible Kilo version: not verified here.
Connection CheckThe success signal
Follow the connection instructions shown by your installed version, then run a small task. Confirm that Kilo handled it and that the artifact opens. A download alone does not establish a working connection.
Start with the desktop app
Kilo Setup in Three Steps
Download first, complete the Kilo setup for your installed version, then check a small result. You do not need to build OpenDesign from source to follow this path.
- 1
Download the OpenDesign Desktop App
Choose the package for your computer, install it and open the app.
Download OpenDesignCHECKPOINTThe desktop app opens. Already installed? Move to the next step; there is no need to download again. - 2
Prepare Your Kilo Connection
Follow the Kilo instructions in your installed version. Authenticate with your own provider key (BYOK) or Kilo's gateway — credentials stay on your machine.
Kilo Code documentation# 1. Install the Kilo Code extension from the VS Code # (or JetBrains) marketplace, or install the CLI. # 2. Open your project and sign in / add a provider key cd your-project kilo # connect your provider (BYOK) or Kilo's gatewayFrom the Kilo setup notes in the published guide; check the vendor documentation for the current command.
CHECKPOINTConfirm the intended agent and account. If it is unavailable, check compatibility before trying a larger task. - 3
Run One Small Kilo Task
Use a small brief so you can judge the whole loop, including one revision.
Starter briefBuild a settings screen with a profile form and a save confirmation. Use my design rules. Check it at desktop and mobile widths.
CHECKPOINTOpen the result, test the save state and request one specific change. A generated file is the beginning of review, not the end.
To run OpenDesign from source, follow the technical quickstart instead.
The Kilo design workflow
The Kilo Design Workflow in Five Steps
The same product page task, followed from brief to verified file. Each step lists what you provide, what Kilo does, what OpenDesign contributes and what you check.
- 1
Design Brief
Plain language, three to six lines. Name the audience, the job of the screen and the platforms.
- YouWrite the brief; attach a reference screenshot if you have one.
- KiloReads the brief and the project’s instruction file; asks when something is ambiguous.
- OpenDesignProvides the project, the prompt surface and the skill for the artifact type.
- CheckConfirm the brief states the acceptance criteria. Adding them now is cheaper than after generation.
- 2
Design Constraints
A design system and a few hard rules. This is what separates on-brand output from a generic look.
- YouPick a design system; state breakpoints and any must-use components.
- KiloLoads the DESIGN.md tokens and posture rules into context before writing a line.
- OpenDesignShips the design-system library and binds the chosen one into the skill template.
- CheckThe tokens match your brand. One accent, the right fonts, the right radius.
- 3
Generate the Interface
Kilo writes a self-contained HTML file: layout, styles, interactions and stable hooks.
- YouWait, or answer a clarifying question. Nothing to configure.
- KiloPlans the sections, writes the HTML, CSS and JavaScript, runs the file and fixes what fails.
- OpenDesignSaves the artifact into the project folder and indexes it for preview.
- CheckNothing yet. Judge the file after it is rendered, not from the source.
- 4
Preview
The file renders inside OpenDesign at the widths you asked for. This is where the design is judged.
- YouSwitch widths, click through the interactions, leave comments on elements.
- KiloReads your comments on the preview and prepares the next revision.
- OpenDesignRenders the preview, exposes
data-od-idtargets for comments and edits. - CheckHierarchy, contrast, overflow at 390px, focus states, and whether the accent is used sparingly.
- 5
Revise and Verify
Request changes by pointing at elements in the preview. Every revision is a new file; nothing is overwritten silently.
- YouTurn comments into requests; decide when the task is done.
- KiloApplies the changes in place and re-runs the file.
- OpenDesignKeeps versions side by side; exports an image or the HTML when you are done.
- CheckRe-check only the area that changed, then the whole page once at each breakpoint.
Resources
Kilo Design Resources
Skills Browse skills Design systems Browse systems Templates Browse templates
Design Skills
The artifact types Kilo can produce in OpenDesign, one skill per type.
Design Systems
Brand tokens and components to bind before Kilo generates anything.
Templates
Starting points for decks, landing pages and product screens.
Limitations
Kilo Limitations, Manual Checks and Fallbacks
- ScopeIt is model-agnostic and BYOK across many providers, with Architect/Code/Debug/Ask modes and MCP support, so you choose the model and keep credentials under your control. This page covers Kilo as an agent connected to OpenDesign, not every Kilo feature.
- Usage LimitsUsage limits and cost follow the credential you use (Your own provider API key or Kilo's gateway). This page makes no claim about free quotas.
- NetworkLocal project files do not mean offline inference. Review your agent’s provider settings and data policies before sharing sensitive inputs.
- Output Is HTMLArtifacts are HTML files, not vector design files.
- Manual ReviewAccessibility, real content, brand fit and interaction correctness are reviewed by you in the preview. Treat any self-check by the agent as a first pass.
- FallbackIf the agent is unavailable or a task fails, check the installed version’s connection instructions and authentication. Preserve the error and the last working artifact before changing configuration.
FAQ
Common Questions About Kilo and OpenDesign
Can Kilo Code Really Do Design Work?
Yes — with an aesthetic skill, a design system, and real reference images in context, Kilo Code produces production-quality, responsive UI, and a vision-capable model verifies output against references. Without that context it tends to default to a generic look, which is the gap OpenDesign fills.
Do I Need to Pay to Design With Kilo Code?
Kilo Code is open-source and free to install. You bring your own provider API key (BYOK) and pay that provider directly, or use Kilo's own gateway at provider cost. OpenDesign never proxies your credentials either way.
What Makes Kilo Code Good for Design Specifically?
It is model-agnostic and open-source, so you can drive it with whichever vision-capable model reads reference screenshots best, inspect exactly what context is sent, and keep cost and credentials under your control. Taste still comes from the design system, skill, and references you supply.
Kilo Code or Claude Code for Frontend Design?
Both are strong. Claude Code is known for specific, codebase-aware design decisions; Kilo Code's edge is being open-source and model-agnostic with BYOK, so you choose the model. Many teams use both — OpenDesign lets you switch agents without changing your design workflow.
How Do I Connect Kilo Code to Figma?
Add a Figma MCP server from Kilo's MCP marketplace or MCP settings. Kilo can then pull real design context — components, variables, layout data — so the generated code matches the source instead of approximating it.
Start a First Design Task With Kilo
Start with a small task, judge the round trip, then bring the real brief. Choose the option that matches your setup; the page does not detect it.