Stitch UI Design Prompting

Expert guidance for crafting effective prompts in Google Stitch, the AI-powered UI design tool by Google Labs. This skill helps create precise, actionable prompts that generate high-quality UI designs for web and mobile applications.

What is Google Stitch?

Google Stitch is an experimental AI UI generator powered by Gemini 2.5 Flash that transforms text prompts and visual references into functional UI designs. It supports:

• Text-to-UI generation from natural language prompts
• Image-to-UI conversion from sketches, wireframes, or screenshots
• Multi-screen app flows and responsive layouts
• Export to HTML/CSS, Figma, and code
• Iterative refinement with variants and annotations

Core Prompting Principles

1. Be Specific and Detailed

Generic prompts yield generic results. Specific prompts with clear requirements produce tailored, professional designs.

Poor prompt:

Create a dashboard

Effective prompt:

Member dashboard with course modules grid, progress tracking bar, 
and community feed sidebar using purple theme and card-based layout

Why it works: Specifies components (modules, progress, feed), layout structure (grid, sidebar), visual style (purple theme, cards), and context (member dashboard).

2. Define Visual Style and Theme

Always include color schemes, design aesthetics, and visual direction to avoid generic AI outputs.

Components to specify:

• Color palette (primary colors, accent colors)
• Design style (minimalist, modern, playful, professional, glassmorphic)
• Typography preferences (if any)
• Spacing and density (compact, spacious, balanced)

Example:

E-commerce product page with hero image gallery, add-to-cart CTA, 
reviews section, and related products carousel. Use clean minimalist 
design with sage green accents and generous white space.

3. Structure Multi-Screen Flows Clearly

For apps with multiple screens, list each screen as bullet points before generation.

Approach:

Fitness tracking app with:
- Onboarding screen with goal selection
- Home dashboard with daily stats and activity rings
- Workout library with category filters
- Profile screen with achievements and settings

Stitch will ask for confirmation before generating multiple screens, ensuring alignment with your vision.

4. Specify Platform and Responsive Behavior

Indicate whether the design is for mobile, tablet, desktop, or responsive web.

Examples:

Mobile app login screen (iOS style) with email/password fields and social auth buttons

Responsive landing page that adapts from mobile (320px) to desktop (1440px) 
with collapsible navigation

5. Include Functional Requirements

Describe interactive elements, states, and user flows to generate more complete designs.

Elements to specify:

• Button actions and CTAs
• Form fields and validation
• Navigation patterns
• Loading states
• Empty states
• Error handling

Example:

Checkout flow with:
- Cart summary with quantity adjusters
- Shipping address form with validation
- Payment method selection (cards, PayPal, Apple Pay)
- Order confirmation with tracking number

Prompt Structure Template

Use this template for comprehensive prompts:

[Screen/Component Type] for [User/Context]

Key Features:
- [Feature 1 with specific details]
- [Feature 2 with specific details]
- [Feature 3 with specific details]

Visual Style:
- [Color scheme]
- [Design aesthetic]
- [Layout approach]

Platform: [Mobile/Web/Responsive]

Example:

Dashboard for SaaS analytics platform

Key Features:
- Top metrics cards showing MRR, active users, churn rate
- Line chart for revenue trends (last 30 days)
- Recent activity feed with user actions
- Quick action buttons for reports and exports

Visual Style:
- Dark mode with blue/purple gradient accents
- Modern glassmorphic cards with subtle shadows
- Clean data visualization with accessible colors

Platform: Responsive web (desktop-first)

Iteration Strategies

Refine with Annotations

Use Stitch's "annotate to edit" feature to make targeted changes without rewriting the entire prompt.

Workflow:

1. Generate initial design from prompt
2. Annotate specific elements that need changes
3. Describe modifications in natural language
4. Stitch updates only the annotated areas

Example annotations:

• "Make this button larger and use primary color"
• "Add more spacing between these cards"

…