Designer Uses Claude AI More Than Figma for Product Development
Original: I design with Claude more than Figma now
Why This Matters
Demonstrates AI tools enabling designers to prototype directly in production code
Jane Street designer Edwin Morris reports shifting from traditional design tools like Figma to using Claude AI for prototyping. He now builds working features directly in code rather than creating mockups, enabling faster iteration and testing with real users.
Edwin Morris, a designer at Jane Street, describes how Claude AI has transformed his workflow from traditional design methods to code-based prototyping. Previously skeptical of LLMs after disappointing experiences with Copilot, Cursor, and Gemini, Morris found AI invaluable when learning new technologies like OCaml and Bonsai at Jane Street. His new process involves writing problem descriptions as prompts, using Claude to build functional prototypes, iterating directly in code, and testing with users before submitting features. He cites a recent JSQL input enhancement where Claude enabled unlimited iteration on UI elements, keyboard shortcuts, and messaging—improvements that would have taken weeks of traditional design-engineering collaboration. Morris reports using Figma less frequently over the past two months, successfully implementing prototypes with 2000+ line changes and even skipping Figma entirely for some new applications.