Bolt.new for Designers: AI Full-Stack App Builder

Bolt.new is an AI-powered full-stack development environment from StackBlitz that runs entirely in your browser. Describe what you want to build, and Bolt.new generates a complete working application—frontend, backend, database, and all. Unlike component-focused tools, Bolt.new creates entire apps you can deploy immediately. Designers use it to validate ideas without waiting on developers, create high-fidelity prototypes with real functionality, and ship MVPs directly to users. It’s particularly powerful for turning wireframes into working products, testing user flows with actual data, and demonstrating concepts to stakeholders.

Key Specs

How Designers Use Bolt.new

Prototype with Real Functionality

Static mockups only go so far. Bolt.new lets you create prototypes that actually work—with real form submissions, data persistence, API integrations, and user authentication. Describe your user flow and watch it come to life with functioning buttons, dynamic content, and realistic interactions. Stakeholders can click through actual features rather than imagining them from static screens.

Validate Ideas Before Development

Test product concepts before committing engineering resources. Build working MVPs in hours to validate assumptions with real users. Create A/B test variations of entire flows to compare approaches. Bolt.new makes it practical to explore multiple directions simultaneously and learn what resonates before investing in full development.

Bridge the Design-Dev Handoff Gap

Convert your Figma designs into working applications that developers can reference. Bolt.new generates clean, modern code that engineering teams can use as a starting point or specification. Instead of lengthy documentation, hand off a working example that demonstrates exactly how features should behave, eliminating ambiguity in requirements.

Ship Design Tools and Experiments

Build custom tools for your design workflow—color palette generators, layout explorers, design token converters. Create interactive experiments to test motion principles or demonstrate micro-interactions. Because Bolt.new outputs real apps, you can share these tools with your team or publish them for the design community.

Bolt.new vs. Alternatives

Getting Started with Bolt.new

Start with a clear description. Visit bolt.new and describe your application in plain language. Be specific about features, user roles, and data requirements. For example: “Create a project feedback app where clients can leave comments on design mockups, with user authentication and email notifications.”

Iterate with conversation. Bolt.new generates your initial app in seconds. Use natural language to request changes: “Make the header sticky,” “Add a dark mode toggle,” “Sort comments by date.” Each prompt refines the application while maintaining working functionality.

Deploy or export. When satisfied, deploy directly to StackBlitz hosting with a shareable URL, push to GitHub to hand off to developers, or download the complete codebase to run locally. Your prototype becomes a real application without switching tools.

Bolt.new in Your Design Workflow

Before design: Use Bolt.new to create quick proofs-of-concept when evaluating technical feasibility. Build throwaway experiments to test whether an interaction pattern works before investing in detailed design.

During design: Generate working prototypes alongside static mockups. Use real apps to test user flows with colleagues or early users. Create multiple variations to compare approaches with actual functionality rather than assumptions.

After design: Convert finalized designs into reference implementations for developers. Build working specifications that demonstrate exact behaviors, edge cases, and error states. Ship design tools and utilities that support your team’s workflow.

Pairs well with: Figma (for visual design before prototyping), Loom (for recording demos of working prototypes), Linear (for tracking issues discovered in testing), GitHub (for version control and developer handoff), and v0 (for refining individual UI components before integrating into full apps).

Common Problems (and How to Fix Them)

The AI Misunderstands Your Requirements

Break complex requests into smaller steps. Instead of describing an entire application at once, start with core functionality and iterate. Use specific technical terms when you know them (e.g., “Create a modal dialog” rather than “popup”). Reference similar apps: “Like Twitter’s timeline, but for design inspiration.”

Generated Code Doesn’t Match Your Design System

Provide design specifications upfront: “Use a blue (#3B82F6) primary color, sans-serif fonts, and rounded corners (8px border-radius).” Import your existing stylesheets or Tailwind config. For complex systems, generate with Bolt.new first, then refine components in v0 to match your design tokens exactly before integrating back.

Features Break When Adding New Functionality

Request changes incrementally rather than asking for major rewrites. Test after each modification to catch issues early. If something breaks, use “undo last change” or describe the problem: “The login form stopped working after adding the dashboard.” Bolt.new can debug and fix issues through conversation.

Generated Apps Feel Generic

Be specific about personality and tone in your initial prompt. Request custom illustrations, specific copywriting, or unique interaction patterns. Bolt.new defaults to standard patterns—you need to explicitly describe anything distinctive. Consider generating the structure with Bolt.new, then customizing visuals manually or with design tools.

Performance Issues with Complex Apps

Bolt.new optimizes for speed of generation, not production performance. For complex applications, use Bolt.new to validate concepts and create specifications, then have developers rebuild with performance optimization. Alternatively, request specific optimizations: “Add loading states,” “Implement virtual scrolling for the list,” “Lazy load images.”