Open Design: GUI Claude Design Clone Without Usage Limits
Open Design replicates Claude Design's graphical interface for AI-generated prototypes and slide decks, built on Huashu Design, integrates with any LLM CLI like Claude Code to bypass Anthropic usage restrictions, and includes 31 skills plus 72 pre-built design systems.
Replicate Claude Design's Workflow Open-Source
Open Design delivers Claude Design's core functionality—generating high-fidelity prototypes, slide decks, and templates—through a near-identical graphical interface, but runs locally via CLI tools like Claude Code, Codeex, or Gemini to avoid Anthropic's restrictive usage limits. Built directly on Huashu Design (a terminal-based clone), it combines elements from Guang PowerPoint skill, Open Code Design, and Multica, resulting in 31 skills and 72 pre-built design systems extracted from sites like Airbnb (covering palette, typography, components, visual theme, atmosphere). Use these systems by selecting one or multiple during project creation, specifying wireframe or high-fidelity output, which triggers an interactive Q&A brief mirroring Claude Design's process: it asks about audience, slide count, visual tone (e.g., brutalist), and story beats before building. Import custom design systems by zipping one from Claude Design and uploading, ensuring consistent branding like Aentic dashboard OS aesthetics across outputs.
Quick Local Setup Maximizes Accessibility
Install via GitHub repo terminal commands or paste the repo URL into Claude Code/Codeex for automated setup in a new directory, then access the local dev server (prompt Claude Code if needed). Select 'local CLI' for free Max account usage (no API fees), default model, and optionally add media providers like Midjourney, OpenAI, or ElevenLabs for image/video generation beyond prototypes. Dashboard sections include designs/examples (single-line prompts like "design mutuals, a dating site for ex posters, daily digest dashboard"), design systems (pre-analyzed site breakdowns for style matching), and bloat like image/video templates (JSON prompts with low real-world value). Skip examples/templates for core tasks; focus on prototypes/slide decks where it shines, exporting to PowerPoint for final tweaks.
Strong Outputs with Minor Polish Needed
For a Lighthouse SaaS landing page (analytics for small teams/solo founders), requesting three variants yields stacked, editorial, and bold styles matching Claude Design's fonts/colors/backgrounds, completing in ~10 minutes (twice Claude Design's speed) via the same Q&A flow. Slide decks using custom systems hit 90% accuracy—e.g., product launch deck aligns with brutalist tone but may need 5-minute fixes for spacing/formatting in slides 3/6/7. Lacks native edit/draw/tweaks panel (prompt for a custom one; roadmap item), no slide swapping in UI, and UI constraints make custom styles jankier than Huashu Design's terminal flexibility (e.g., "recreate this directory's style"). Still, it's a 90% solution for polished deliverables without usage caps.
Choose Based on Interface Needs and Speed
Opt for Open Design over Claude Design if you need its GUI polish and multi-LLM flexibility; it's slower and rougher-edged (launched this week) but superior to terminal-only Huashu for non-CLI users. Huashu edges it for speed/flexibility in terminal workflows. Proliferation of clones pressures Anthropic to fix usage issues. Test it for agency/freelance deliverables like client prototypes—solid for avoiding paywalls while aping proprietary UX.