Anthropic expands Claude Design with new connectors

Anthropic has expanded Claude Design with design system controls, closer links to Claude Code and a broader set of software connectors. More than one million people used the product in its first week, according to Anthropic.

The update changes how Claude Design fits into day-to-day design work. Users can now import one or more design systems from a GitHub repository, design files or direct uploads. The software then generates work using those components and checks the output against the selected system before showing it.

Anthropic has also introduced a new admin role for larger teams. It allows one standard design system to be approved and restricts edits, helping keep output aligned with company design rules across projects.

Design and code

A central part of the update is tighter integration between Claude Design and Claude Code. Users can run a command called /design-sync to pull a design system into their workflow, so work started in Claude Design begins from existing components rather than a blank slate.

When a design is ready to move into software development, it can be passed to Claude Code, which continues from the existing project. Developers can also start in Claude Code and create, edit and sync design projects from the terminal with the /design command, Anthropic said.

Users can import a design into a codebase, turn code into a live prototype or manage both design and software tasks in the same workflow. Anthropic has positioned the change as a way to reduce the gap between early design exploration and later implementation.

Anthropic has moved Claude Design into the sidebar of the Claude desktop app, and it remains available through a dedicated web address. The product is in beta on Claude Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise subscriptions.

Daily use

Anthropic has also rebuilt the editor with more direct controls over individual design elements. Users can drag, resize and align items on the canvas, reflecting a shift towards more manual adjustment after AI-generated output.

Anthropic said it has made hundreds of stability fixes to improve reliability in regular use. Claude Design now also shares usage limits with chat, Claude Cowork and Claude Code, a change the company expects will give most users more room to work before reaching limits.

According to Anthropic, the average turn now uses fewer tokens to achieve the same result, while errors have fallen sharply. The changes suggest the company is focusing not only on new features but also on cost and reliability as it tries to turn early experimentation into repeat use.

Wider connections

Claude Design now exports to PDF and PowerPoint and connects with a wider range of third-party tools, including Adobe, Base44, Canva, Gamma, Lovable, Miro, Replit, Vercel and Wix.

The broader connector list points to a more practical push into existing workplace software rather than a standalone design environment. By linking Claude Design to tools already used across creative, collaboration and development teams, Anthropic is trying to place the product within established work patterns.

For Enterprise customers, the feature is off by default. Administrators can enable it in organisation settings, and work created there can be shared only within the organisation.

Anthropic said user feedback from the initial release is shaping its next steps. One customer highlighted the link between the design and coding products as a key part of the appeal.

"Claude Design gives me the intelligence of frontier models with the functionality & capabilities of tried & true design tools. Anytime I'm working on design directions for Tenex's site, new brand assets or presentations, Claude Design is the first place I go. The combination of approachable UX with strong taste & design instinct is why it's become a core part of my tech stack. And then the hand-off between Claude Design and Claude Code makes the process from prototype to production seamless," said Alex Lieberman, co-founder of Morning Brew and Tenex.