I Noticed Something on X This Week

Three different developers posted their "vibe-coded" apps. Cursor + Claude, impressive functionality built in hours. But I could barely tell them apart.

Same Inter font. Same Lucide icons. Same blue-to-purple gradients. Same rounded corners everywhere. Same "modern" layout that screams "I prompted an AI to build this."

Don't get me wrong — vibe coding is incredible. The ability to describe an interface and watch it materialize is genuinely magical. But we're hitting a creativity ceiling, and it's not the AI's fault.

The problem isn't the tools. It's that most developers are prompting without understanding the design decisions that make interfaces feel distinctive.

Why AI-Generated Design All Looks the Same

AI tools are pattern-matching machines. They've been trained on millions of interfaces, and certain patterns appear so frequently that they become the default output:

This isn't inherently bad design — these patterns are popular because they work. But when everyone uses the same patterns, your app disappears into the crowd.

I see developers frustrated that their apps "look like everyone else's," but they're not giving AI the creative constraints it needs to generate something different.

The solution isn't better AI tools. It's better creative direction.

The Missing Design Foundation

I've been teaching design fundamentals for years, and I notice the same gap in vibe-coding conversations: developers focus on implementation but skip the creative strategy.

When designers approach a project, we start with questions like:

• •What personality should this interface have? (Playful? Professional? Edgy?)
• •Who's the target user and what do they expect?
• •What's the most important action on each screen?
• •How can typography, color, and spacing reinforce these decisions?

Vibe coders tend to jump straight to "build me a dashboard" without defining the visual identity first. The AI generates something generic because it doesn't have creative constraints to work with.

But here's the thing: adding these constraints isn't complicated. You don't need years of design school. You just need to understand a few fundamentals and how to communicate them to AI.

Fix #1: Typography That Actually Has Personality

Inter is everywhere because it's safe. But "safe" is also "forgettable." Your font choice is one of the fastest ways to give your app personality.

I'm not saying avoid Inter completely — but be intentional about it. Does neutral, friendly, and approachable match your app? If yes, great. If your app is creative, playful, or edgy, you need different typography.

Here's my quick typography personality guide for vibe coding:

The key is pairing: one font for headings, one for body text, maybe a third for accents. This creates hierarchy and personality without chaos. Read more in my complete typography principles guide.

Fix #2: Color Strategy Beyond Generic Gradients

I see so many vibe-coded apps with the same blue-to-purple gradient because AI generates what's trendy. But color is one of your strongest branding tools — why give it up to follow the crowd?

Instead of defaulting to gradients, think about what colors actually make sense for your app:

The more specific you are about color choices and their reasoning, the more distinctive your app becomes. Check out my complete color theory guide for more strategic color decisions.

Fix #3: Visual Hierarchy That Guides Users

Most vibe-coded interfaces have weak hierarchy — everything looks equally important, so nothing stands out. Users don't know where to look first.

Good hierarchy guides attention intentionally. What's the most important element on each screen? That should dominate visually through size, color, contrast, or position.

When you're specific about hierarchy in your prompts, AI can create interfaces that actually guide users instead of overwhelming them. Learn more about creating effective hierarchy in my design principles guide.

Fix #4: Thoughtful Spacing and Layout

I notice a lot of vibe-coded interfaces either cramped or swimming in white space. AI tends to generate layouts with uniform padding everywhere, which feels mechanical.

Professional interfaces use varied spacing intentionally:

The same principle applies to layout width. Not everything needs to be centered in a narrow column. Consider:

• •Data tables need room to breathe — use full width
• •Reading content works best in narrower columns (60-80 characters)
• •Hero sections can use asymmetrical layouts for visual interest

Thoughtful spacing makes interfaces feel more intentional and less AI-generated.

Fix #5: Better Prompting with Design Language

The biggest improvement in my vibe-coded results came from learning to speak design language in my prompts. Instead of vague requests, I give specific creative direction.

Notice how the specific prompt gives AI clear creative constraints: personality, typography choices, color palette, layout preference, and even reference points.

The more design language you use, the more control you have over the output. AI responds well to specific creative direction.

A Better Vibe-Coding Workflow

Based on what I've learned from successful vibe coders and design fundamentals, here's a workflow that creates more distinctive results:

This workflow takes more time upfront but creates dramatically better results. You're directing the AI instead of hoping for the best.

Why Designers Have the Advantage (And You Can Too)

Designers aren't better at vibe coding because we're naturally more creative. We just think in terms of visual systems and creative constraints.

When I approach a new project, I automatically consider typography pairing, color psychology, visual hierarchy, and user flow. These aren't mysterious skills — they're learnable frameworks.

The developers creating distinctive vibe-coded apps aren't accepting AI defaults. They're making intentional design decisions and communicating them clearly to their tools.

You don't need to become a designer to improve your vibe-coded results. You just need to understand enough design fundamentals to give better creative direction.

The goal isn't to become a professional designer. It's to understand enough about visual communication to create apps that don't look like everyone else's.

Vibe coding is powerful, but it's only as creative as the direction you give it. Master the fundamentals, and your AI-generated interfaces will start standing out from the crowd.