What if a full-time designer was never out of reach for a small team – you just didn't have the process yet?
Two weeks ago, screen designs looked dead to me: the old Figma chain where a product manager briefs a designer who briefs a developer. Then one weekend on a design canvas changed that. Nine hours, 77 messages and 79 versions later there was a brand for Zawq, my new project – and not one line of product code. The agent serves the buffet, you are the curator.
You'll see the whole canvas: the first six website directions that all sucked, the gardening idea that stuck, the low-poly 3D scene built with Three.js, and the landing page at draft nine. Then the logo that could never have been briefed – from generic wordmarks to an app-icon bonsai in the Moyogi shape, and why the 2D version only worked after going 3D first. And what gets decided before any code exists: colors, dark mode, accessibility checks, a component library and a few app screens.
This is not done. The real app isn't built, and the 3D scene still has to run on an average phone. My own design level is a solid six out of ten – so find a friend with real design chops and let them tell you what's still weak.
This is not theory. The new homepage went live today: https://zawq.ai
WHO THIS IS FOR
A founder who ships straight into code and ends up with a generic-looking product
A vibe coder who has never run a design round before building
A small team that can't afford a designer or an agency back-and-forth
Anyone starting a new product who wants a real brand from day one
IN THIS EPISODE
00:00:00 – The design process I got addicted to
00:01:43 – Screen designs are back
00:04:17 – One weekend, one canvas
00:08:57 – Nine hours, 77 messages, 79 versions
00:10:46 – How a design round works
00:12:30 – The logo I couldn't have briefed
00:17:45 – Decide it before it's code
00:20:58 – What's not built yet
00:22:05 – Your vibe design weekend
00:25:06 – Upcoming events and the Pirate Forge
DEEP DIVE LINKS
📖 Full Article + the starter prompt: https://pirateskills.com/insights/vibe-design-process
🏴☠️ Vibe Coding Cologne – 7 October: https://pirateskills.com/events/vibe-coding-cologne/2026-10-07
🧪 Pirate Lab – 21 October: https://pirateskills.com/pirate/lab/2026-10-21
🧭 AI Compass – 28 October: https://pirateskills.com/aicompass/2026-10-28
🛠️ Vibe Hackathon Cologne – 20 November: https://pirateskills.com/events/vibe-hackathon-cologne/2026-11-20
⚓ Pirate Forge: https://pirateskills.com/pirate/forge
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7kFl0BJiOYih8yqQTRR9SN
🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/build-grow-repeat/id1870561487
🗓️ All upcoming events: https://pirateskills.com/events
💬 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bensufiani/
