To use Claude Design, ask Claude for a design in any chat (or choose Output, then Design, in the message box), describe the goal, layout, content and audience, then refine the result on the canvas beside your conversation. It's included on every Claude plan, Free included, and you export the finished work as a PDF, PowerPoint, HTML or straight to Google Slides.
Claude Design isn't a separate app any more. Anthropic folded it into ordinary Claude conversations, so you don't need to go looking for a special tool. That change also brings a deadline that a lot of people haven't spotted yet, which I'll come to below.
Everything in this guide comes from Anthropic's own help centre and release notes, read in October 2026.
What Claude Design makes
Anthropic describes it as a way to create designs, interactive prototypes, one-pagers and other visual work by chatting with Claude. In practice that covers things like:
- Landing page mockups and one-page sales sheets
- App onboarding screens and interactive prototypes
- Internal tools and simple dashboards
- Social graphics and visual explainers built in your brand colours
It's one of several artifact templates in Claude. Its siblings are Slides for decks and Docs for living documents, and all three sit in the Artifacts tab in your sidebar. If artifacts are new to you, my guide to what Claude artifacts are explains the bigger picture.
Where to find Claude Design
| Where | How to start | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Any chat (web or desktop) | Ask for a design, or pick Output, then Design, in the message box | The canvas opens beside the conversation |
| Artifacts tab | Open the tab and choose a Design template | Everything you make is saved here |
| Claude Code | Ask for a design, or type /design | /design-sync pulls in your design system |
| iOS and Android apps | Ask for a design in any chat and check back later | You can view and edit, but sharing settings need web or desktop |
| claude.ai/design | The old standalone version | Closes on 14 December 2026 |
The deadline most people miss
If you used the standalone Claude Design at claude.ai/design, Anthropic says it closes on 14 December 2026. Your existing projects stay there until then, and moving them into Claude is rolling out gradually to paid plans. The part to act on now is your design system: Anthropic tells you to move design systems across before the standalone version closes.
One more catch. Artifacts only work if Cloud code execution and file creation (shown as Create and edit files in the newer settings layout) is switched on under Settings, then Capabilities. If Claude won't open a design canvas for you, check that setting first.
How to make your first design, step by step
- Start a design from a conversation or the Artifacts tab.
- Attach or import the design system you want Claude to build with, if you have one.
- Add context: screenshots, an existing deck whose style you like, or a code repository.
- Describe what you want to build.
- Review what Claude puts on the canvas.
- Refine it through chat, inline comments or direct edits on the canvas.
- Export or share it when you're happy.
That's Anthropic's own flow. The step people rush is the third one. Anthropic says the more context you give, the better the output, and a single screenshot of a design you admire does more than a paragraph of adjectives.
How to write a design prompt that works
Anthropic's advice is to cover four things: the goal (what you're building), the layout (how it's arranged), the content (what it shows) and the audience (who'll use it). Claude will ask clarifying questions if something's missing, but you'll get a better first draft if you answer them up front. Here's a prompt I'd start with for a small business:
Copy this prompt
Design a one-page landing page for my bookkeeping service for local cafe owners.
Layout: headline and short intro at the top, three benefit blocks in a row, a simple three-step 'how it works' section, then a contact form.
Content: friendly, plain English, no jargon. Leave room for one photo.
Audience: busy owners reading on their phones between shifts, so keep it short and easy to scan.
And one for an internal tool:
Copy this prompt
Design a simple internal page for my team to log customer complaints.
It needs a form (customer name, date, category, description, urgency) and a table below it showing the latest entries.
Keep it clean and calm, with one accent colour for urgent items.
Three ways to edit, and when to use each
| Method | Best for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Chat | Big structural changes, new sections, anything that needs explaining | Rearrange the page so the form sits at the top |
| Inline comments | Targeted fixes to one element | Make this button padding larger |
| Direct canvas edits | Quick visual tweaks: drag, resize, align | Nudge an image or widen a column |
A tip straight from Anthropic's help page: if your inline comments aren't being picked up, paste the feedback into the chat instead. They call it a known workaround for an intermittent issue where comments can disappear before Claude reads them.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
You can also ask Claude to explain its design choices, suggest improvements or review the design for accessibility. I'd do that last one on anything a customer will see.
How to export or share your design
Use the Export button in the upper right of the project. Anthropic lists PDF, PPTX (PowerPoint), Google Slides and standalone HTML for designs, and the artifacts guide also mentions a .zip. Pick PDF for a client to look at, PowerPoint or Google Slides if someone needs to edit it, and HTML if you want a working prototype in a browser.
If you write code, Claude Code can take a design and continue from it rather than starting over from a screenshot. Type /design there to import a design into your codebase.
Is Claude Design free?
Anthropic lists Claude Design on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, switched on by default. On Enterprise plans it turned on by default on 15 October 2026, and owners could enable it earlier in Organization settings. What changes between plans is how much you can use Claude overall, which I cover in is Claude free.
If you'd like help building Claude into how your team creates content and marketing assets, that's the kind of work I do on my work with me page.
My verdict
Claude Design is the quickest route I've seen from a rough idea to something you can show a client or developer. Give it context, not just a description. Use chat for structure and comments for fiddly fixes, and export to PowerPoint or Google Slides when someone else needs to edit. If you ever used the old claude.ai/design, move your design system across before 14 December 2026.
For decks built inside PowerPoint itself, I've written up the PowerPoint extension in my guide to Claude in PowerPoint.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Claude Design?
Claude Design now lives inside normal Claude conversations. Ask for a design in any chat, choose Output then Design in the message box, or pick a Design template in the Artifacts tab.
Is Claude Design free?
Yes. Anthropic lists Claude Design on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, switched on by default. Your overall Claude usage limits still depend on your plan.
When does claude.ai/design close?
Anthropic says the standalone version at claude.ai/design closes on 14 December 2026. Move your design systems into Claude before then.
Can I export Claude Design to PowerPoint?
Yes. The Export button offers PDF, PPTX, Google Slides and standalone HTML, so you can hand a design to someone who works in PowerPoint.
Why won't Claude open a design canvas?
Artifacts need Cloud code execution and file creation (Create and edit files) switched on in Settings, then Capabilities. On Team and Enterprise plans, an owner controls this in Organization settings.
