This video addresses a common pitfall in application development: prioritizing complex backend logic while neglecting user interface design, resulting in functional but unappealing applications. The presenter outlines a systematic workflow using Gemini 3 Pro to reverse this approach, advocating for a "design-first" methodology. By structuring prompts and defining user experiences before writing business logic, developers can create professional, clutter-free UIs using a basic React setup and Tailwind CSS.
Step 1: Feature Definition and PRD Generation
The process begins by treating the design as a core component rather than an afterthought. After setting up a vanilla React application, the first step involves using a specific prompt to generate a Product Requirements Document (PRD). By feeding the AI a high-level concept of the app, it produces an executive summary and a list of core features. This establishes a concrete scope for the Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
Step 2: UX Extraction and Refinement
Since a full PRD contains non-functional requirements irrelevant to UI design, the next step is to refine the output. A specific prompt is used to parse the PRD, extracting only the features, user stories, and core User Experience (UX) considerations. This step filters out noise and organizes the data into a format that focuses strictly on how the user interacts with the screens and how features are meant to function.
Step 3: Establishing a Design System
Instead of guessing styles, the workflow suggests finding visual inspiration from existing successful apps (using tools like Mobin). The developer creates a two-part prompt: one part defining the app’s intended purpose and the other providing design system inspiration (e.g., the aesthetic of Claude). The AI then generates a comprehensive style guide, including color palettes, typography, button styles, and card layouts. This results in a token-based design system that serves as the visual foundation for the app.
Step 4: Screen State Definition and Code Generation
The final phase involves combining the refined feature list and the new style guide to generate the actual UI code. The developer prompts the AI to brainstorm every possible state for each screen (e.g., zero data, loading, error, and active states). Finally, a simulation prompt is used to generate React components with Tailwind CSS. This prompt instructs the AI to act as a simulator (e.g., an iPhone view) and build the screens to spec, ensuring the code matches the established design principles and style guide.
Key Takeaways
- Design First: Building logic before design often leads to poor user experiences; defining the UI first clarifies what logic is actually needed.
- Contextual Prompting: Passing outputs from one step (like the style guide) as context for the next (code generation) ensures consistency.
- Outcome Focus: Users do not buy features; they buy the outcomes the app affords them, which are delivered primarily through the UI/UX.
Mentoring question
How often do you find yourself building complex backend logic for features that ultimately get scrapped or reworked because the user interface wasn’t defined clearly from the start?
Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=iVWt28DTkIc&is=ShRXNB6pf8OjeK2S