Visual Studio Code hosts a conversation with Elijah King and Thoa Nguyen about practical AI-assisted design workflows in real codebases, including using VS Code with GitHub Copilot (CLI/chat/models), plan mode, parallel sessions, and worktrees to prototype and collaborate with engineers.

Why Design Feels Different: Designers using VS Code and GitHub Copilot for code-based prototyping

How can designers get closer to code without losing their craft?

In this video conversation, Elijah King (VS Code Design) and Thoa Nguyen (Microsoft Foundry design) walk through practical, AI-assisted workflows that help designers work directly inside real repositories and collaborate more effectively with engineers.

What the conversation covers

AI-assisted workflows for designers in code

• Using VS Code as a place to prototype UI and validate real edge cases.
• Practical use of GitHub Copilot tooling:
  • Copilot CLI
  • Copilot chat
  • Working with different models
  • Using plan mode

Prompting approaches

• Comparing one-shot prompts vs step-by-step sessions.
• How session structure affects iteration and quality when generating or refining UI/code.

Iteration techniques for design variants

• Running parallel sessions for different directions/variants.
• Using Git worktrees to keep multiple variants moving at once without constant branch switching.

Design systems in real repositories

• Bringing design systems into the workflow where the implementation actually lives.
• Benefits of working directly in a repo when designers want tighter feedback loops with engineering.

Where Figma still fits

• Discussion of scenarios where Figma continues to be the right tool.
• How Figma complements (rather than replaces) code-based prototyping for certain tasks.

Collaboration and role overlap

• How code-based prototyping changes designer–engineer collaboration.
• The evolving boundary between design and engineering in agent-driven tooling.

Terms and concepts mentioned

• Vibe Foundry: described as a design playground in code.
• GenUI: discussed as a direction for agent-driven UI creation and how it might change design roles.

Video chapters

• 00:00 Big question: where do designers fit with agents?
• 00:35 Intro: Eli + Thoa
• 00:59 Keeping up with rapid AI tool changes
• 02:13 Tools in practice: Copilot CLI, chat, models, plan mode
• 03:42 Prompting strategies: one-shot vs step-by-step sessions
• 04:53 Parallel sessions + worktrees for design variants
• 06:10 Why prototyping in VS Code reveals real edge cases
• 07:40 Figma’s role in an AI-assisted workflow
• 10:23 Designer–engineer collaboration and role overlap
• 12:49 Vibe Foundry: a design playground in code
• 16:22 What is GenUI?
• 20:21 Future of design roles in agent-driven experiences
• 21:04 Wrap-up and thanks

Links from the description

• Elijah King: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahwilliamking/
• Thoa Nguyen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thoanguyen/
• Follow VS Code:
  • X: https://x.com/code
  • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vscode.dev
  • YouTube: https://youtube.com/code
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/104107263
  • GitHub: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode