Design OS - Technical Overview

What is Design OS?

Design OS is an open-source product planning and design tool by Builder Methods that bridges the gap between product ideation and AI-powered code implementation. It addresses a fundamental problem in AI development: coding agents produce suboptimal results when asked to simultaneously determine what to build and construct it.

The solution: separate design decisions from implementation through a structured, conversational design process that generates complete handoff packages for any AI coding agent.

High-Level Architecture

The Problem It Solves

Design OS Workflow

File Structure

Component Architecture

Technology Stack

Design Tokens Flow

Export Package Structure

Key Commands Reference

Command	Phase	Output	Description
/product-vision	Planning	product/product-overview.md	Define mission, problems, features
/product-roadmap	Planning	product/product-roadmap.md	Break down milestones
/data-model	Planning	product/data-model/data-model.md	Design entities & relationships
/design-tokens	Design	product/design-system/*.json	Configure colors & typography
/design-shell	Design	product/shell/spec.md	Create app shell & navigation
/shape-section	Section	product/sections/[name]/spec.md	Specify section requirements
/sample-data	Section	product/sections/[name]/data.json, types.ts	Generate test data
/design-screen	Section	src/sections/[name]/*.tsx	Design UI screens
/screenshot-design	Section	product/sections/[name]/*.png	Capture visual references
/export-product	Export	product-plan/*	Generate complete handoff

Design Requirements

Relationship with Agent OS

Design OS focuses on the "what" - defining product vision, designing UI, and creating specifications.

Agent OS focuses on the "how" - providing structured workflows for AI coding agents to implement the designs with your coding standards.

Key Statistics (December 2025)

• GitHub Stars: 994+
• Forks: 178+
• Version: 0.1 (Initial release: December 18, 2025)
• Language: TypeScript (95.3%)
• License: MIT
• Creator: Brian Casel (Builder Methods)

Use Cases

Getting Started

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/buildermethods/design-os.git
   cd design-os

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Start Design OS

   npm run dev

4. Follow the workflow

   • Begin with /product-vision to define your product
   • Progress through planning, design, and section phases
   • Export with /export-product for AI implementation

Best Practices

1. Complete each phase before moving forward - The workflow is sequential for a reason
2. Use conversational commands - Design OS is designed for AI-guided conversations
3. Review generated specs - Validate specifications before exporting
4. Iterate on sections - Refine individual sections without affecting others
5. Test with multiple agents - Handoff packages work with any AI coding tool

Sources

• Design OS GitHub Repository
• Design OS Official Documentation
• Agent OS GitHub Repository
• Builder Methods
• Brian Casel - Creator