Design first from reference apps, then build with AI

Gather screens from well-designed or competing apps, design the UI (and onboarding) in Figma, then feed designs/screenshots to Claude Code or Cursor to build core features.

Components

• Gather interface references (competitor apps, Dribbble)
• Design in Figma (or prototype directly)
• Define data structures / essential features
• Feed designs to Claude Code/Cursor; build core first
• Add auth/payments from boilerplate; iterate

Who describes it

• Connor Burd — Connor’s app-building process: Steps from research to a shipped vibe-coded app. (Connor Burd · Connor Burd (Oct 2025) ▶ 03:16)
• Nico — Zero-to-one app build process: His step-by-step process for building a new app. (Nico · Nico (Mar 2025) ▶ 05:24)
• Benji — Marketing-first app build: Benji’s 4-5 hour build process starting from the value proposition. (Benji · Benji (May 2026) ▶ 03:50)