FURTHER READING
Further Reading for Qwen
Tutorials, documentation and walkthroughs for designing with Qwen, as listed in the published guide.
Qwen 
OpenDesign Design With
Qwen in
OpenDesign.
How to design interfaces with Qwen Code in OpenDesign: a reference image as the input, QWEN.md as the rulebook, one team-calendar task from brief to reviewed file, and the limits to know before you start.
From brief to interface01 / Qwen
YOU BRING THE IDEA↗
“A team calendar that matches
the reference, with our tokens.”
THREE WAYS INTO THIS QWEN GUIDE
Choose Where to Start With Qwen
THIS GUIDE · UI DESIGN
Build a Product Interface With Qwen
This guide: brief, references, design rules and a reviewed HTML result.
Read this guide SETUPSet Up Qwen From Zero
Here is the full path from a clean machine to a Qwen Code that can build and verify UI.
Go to setup COMPARISONCompare Qwen With Other Agents
How Qwen differs from Codex, Claude Code, Cursor for design work, and when to choose another workflow.
See the comparisonOn This Page Example
One Complete Qwen Design Task
A Qwen 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 Qwen run.
1Design Brief and Constraints
BriefDesign a team calendar week view from the attached reference: five days, working hours, colour by calendar, and a day agenda on the phone. Desktop and phone.
- Design systemOpenDesign paper canvas: Albert Sans, one green accent
- Breakpoints1440px desktop and 390px mobile, no horizontal scroll
- InteractionsWeek navigation, event open, calendar toggles, today jump
- OutputOne self-contained HTML file with stable
data-od-idhooks
2Division of Work: You, Qwen and OpenDesign
- You
Write the brief, select the design system and define the acceptance criteria.
- Qwen
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.
3Qwen Artifact: The Team Calendar at 1440px and 390px
4Review Before Handoff
Layout
Grid and Spacing
Hour rows and day columns on the 8px grid; events snap to the hour lines.
Hierarchy
Visual Hierarchy
Today and the focused event read first; the accent marks that event and today’s header only.
Responsive
Mobile Layout
Week becomes a day strip plus an agenda list; today stays selected.
Interaction
Interaction Checks
Move a week, open an event, toggle a calendar, jump to today.
Fit
When Qwen Fits the Task, and When It Does Not
Qwen Fits When
- Reference → UI. Strong agentic coding turns a clear reference and brief into responsive markup and self-checks the result against it.
- Large context. A whole design system, component library, and reference set fit at once, so output reuses your real primitives.
- QWEN.md + MCP. Context files carry your conventions; the Figma MCP server brings real design context into code.
- Open and BYOK. Apache-2.0 and key-flexible — a DashScope or Qwen API key, an OpenAI-compatible endpoint, or ModelScope.
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: DashScope / Qwen API key (bring your own key). OpenDesign does not provide or proxy credentials.
- Your team works in Kimi or Qoder. Those agents have their own pages; the workspace is the same, the setup differs. See related agents.
Compatibility
Qwen Requirements Before You Start
This guide covers Qwen as connected through the OpenDesign desktop app. Published references checked on 6 September 2026.
Tool ScopeQwen, by Alibaba
Qwen Code is Alibaba’s open-source (Apache-2.0) terminal AI agent, adapted from Google’s Gemini CLI. It reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands, and works the web. This page is about designing interfaces with Qwen through OpenDesign, not about Qwen’s own interface. OpenDesign’s setup notes list the available agents.
Accounts and AuthenticationDashScope / Qwen API key (BYOK)
DashScope / Qwen API key (BYOK). Authenticate with your DashScope or Qwen API key (BYOK) — 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 Qwen version: not verified here.
Connection CheckThe success signal
Follow the connection instructions shown by your installed version, then run a small task. Confirm that Qwen handled it and that the artifact opens. A download alone does not establish a working connection.
Start with the desktop app
Qwen Setup in Three Steps
Download first, complete the Qwen 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 Qwen Connection
Follow the Qwen instructions in your installed version. Authenticate with your DashScope or Qwen API key (BYOK) — credentials stay on your machine.
Qwen Code documentation# 1. Install Qwen Code (Node 22+) npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest # or: brew install qwen-code # 2. Start it in your project and authenticate on first run cd your-project qwen # run /auth, or set a key in ~/.qwen/settings.jsonFrom the Qwen 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 Qwen 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 Qwen design workflow
The Qwen Design Workflow in Five Steps
The same team calendar task, followed from brief to verified file. Each step lists what you provide, what Qwen 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.
- QwenReads 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.
- QwenLoads 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
Qwen writes a self-contained HTML file: layout, styles, interactions and stable hooks.
- YouWait, or answer a clarifying question. Nothing to configure.
- QwenPlans 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.
- QwenReads 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.
- QwenApplies 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
Qwen Design Resources
Skills Browse skills Design systems Browse systems Templates Browse templates
Design Skills
The artifact types Qwen can produce in OpenDesign, one skill per type.
Design Systems
Brand tokens and components to bind before Qwen generates anything.
Templates
Starting points for decks, landing pages and product screens.
Limitations
Qwen Limitations, Manual Checks and Fallbacks
- ScopeThis page covers Qwen as an agent connected to OpenDesign, not every Qwen feature.
- Usage LimitsUsage limits and cost follow the credential you use (DashScope / Qwen API key). 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 Qwen and OpenDesign
Can Qwen Code Really Do Design Work?
Yes — with an aesthetic skill, a design system, and real reference images in context, Qwen Code produces production-quality, responsive UI, and its agentic loop builds, renders, and 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 Qwen Code?
Qwen Code is free and open-source, but it is BYOK — you bring a DashScope (Alibaba Cloud Model Studio) API key, an OpenAI-compatible endpoint, or ModelScope. Alibaba also offers a fixed-fee coding plan. OpenDesign never proxies your credentials either way.
What Makes Qwen Code Good for Design Specifically?
Two things: the Qwen3-Coder models are tuned for agentic coding, so the agent builds and self-corrects responsive UI, and their large context can hold an entire design system and reference set at once. Both help — but taste still comes from the design system, skill, and references you supply.
Is Qwen Code the Same as Gemini CLI?
No. Qwen Code is adapted from Google’s Gemini CLI — same open-source lineage — with parser-level and prompt adaptations that tune it for the Qwen3-Coder models. OpenDesign supports both, so you can switch agents without changing your design workflow.
How Do I Connect Qwen Code to Figma?
Add the Figma MCP server under mcpServers in ~/.qwen/settings.json. Qwen Code 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 Qwen
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.