AI CO-DESIGNER: A FRAMEWORK FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND INDUSTRIAL DESIGN COLLABORATION

AI CO-DESIGNER is a design-oriented AI collaboration environment built around multimodal, human-led design communication.

Core Principle

AI design tools should not only generate outputs. They should help designers communicate intent, constraints, prototypes, style, and critique across the full design process.

Features

• Phase modes: Ideation, Conceptualization, Execution
• Specialist design agents
• Design Brain that gathers info from context and organizes them in project info
• Text, voice, image, camera, and screen inputs
• Whiteboard-based prototype workflow
• AI image generation and remixing
• TTS output
• Electron desktop overlay mode

Setup

1. Clone the repository.
2. Install dependencies:

npm install

For desktop mode in development:

npm run app

Overlay Mode (Float on Top of Any App)

npm run bubble launches a compact floating overlay window that stays on top of all other applications. Use this to keep the AI co-designer visible while working in Figma, Rhino, Illustrator, or any other tool.

npm run bubble

Steps:

1. Run npm run bubble in the terminal.
2. The overlay window will appear in the top-right corner of your screen.
3. It floats above all other open applications — switch to any app and the overlay remains visible.
4. Use the overlay to send messages, capture screenshots, and receive AI feedback without leaving your design tool.
5. To close, click the X button on the overlay or stop the terminal process with Ctrl+C.

Build a Windows installer:

npm run dist:win

Environment Variables

Set these in .env:

• OPENROUTER_API_KEY
• GOOGLE_CLOUD_VISION_API_KEY
• RUNWARE_API_KEY
• RUNWARE_IMAGE_MODEL

Security and Architecture

• Never hardcode API keys.
• Keep paid API calls server-side only.
• The browser should call backend endpoints such as:
  • /api/chat
  • /api/chat/stream
  • /api/generate-image
  • /api/tts

Public Positioning

The first open-source AI co-designer grounded in design communication principles: multimodal, phase-aware, artifact-grounded, and human-led.

Project Files

• server.js - Express backend APIs
• public/ - Frontend UI assets
• electron/main.js - Desktop wrapper that launches the backend + app window