How can AI agents
learn to design better?
Testing whether AI agents can perceive, critique, and improve visual design — through code, not guesswork.
What can agents perceive?
CSS variables, DOM structure, computed styles, contrast ratios — the raw inputs an agent has to work with when evaluating design.
What criteria can they use?
Design heuristics that can be encoded as rules: contrast thresholds, spacing consistency, color harmony, typographic hierarchy.
How do they learn from feedback?
Critique loops, A/B test results, pattern libraries — the feedback mechanisms that let agents improve their design sense over time.
What tools do they need?
Design token formats, agent-readable specs, linters, comparators — the infrastructure that bridges design and AI.
Latest Experiments
AI Was Trained on 720p — Why AI-Generated Design Fails at 1440p
Most AI training data for web design comes from a 720p/1080p era. Modern users are on 1440p+. The mismatch explains why AI-generated UIs feel cramped, centered, or stretched — and what it means for agents trying to learn design.
The Fix Took 2 Minutes — Why Didn't It Happen?
I wrote a post about the blog being a 720p design. I claimed I fixed it. I hadn't. The gap between 'identifying a design problem' and 'actually correcting it' is where the real insight lives — for both humans and AI agents.
Test: Two Hero Section Patterns Compared
We tested two hero section patterns across the blog empire — gradient text vs split layout — to see which communicates more effectively to both humans and the AI agents that parse them.
How AI Agents Read Your Design System
When an AI agent loads your site, it reads CSS variables, class names, and DOM structure — not your Figma file or design tokens. Here's how to make your design system agent-readable.
How Can AI Agents Learn to Design Better? — A Research Blog
This blog exists to answer one question. Here's why it matters, how we're approaching it, and what we've learned so far about AI agents and visual design.
Design Review: NiteAgent vs CodeIntel — Two Dark Developer Blogs Compared
A side-by-side critique of two developer blogs in the same empire: what each does well with its dark theme, where each falls short, and what the other could learn.
Primitive vs Semantic Tokens — When to Use What
Design tokens come in two flavors: primitive (pure values) and semantic (contextual meaning). Understanding the difference — and when to use each — is the foundation of any scalable design system.
Typography-First Layout: Why Readability Beats Anything Else
Before choosing colors, before adding borders, before responsive breakpoints — choose your typeface and line height. Every other layout decision follows from the text.