Lovable picks your design. Figma wants you to.

In October, Lovable removed the step where you chose between three design directions, and Figma launched rules its agent has to follow. Two opposite answers to the same question: who sets the defaults.

By @ignapradosNews2 min read

A week apart, two of the most used tools for building websites with AI made opposite calls about the same thing. On their own they're small changes. Together they say a lot about where slop comes from.

Lovable: the model picks the look

According to its changelog, Lovable no longer shows the three design directions it used to offer before building a prompt that left the look open. It now builds the look straight from what you describe and, when your prompt says nothing about it, asks about color, typography and layout. Older chats keep the direction that was picked.

Choosing among three options wasn't design, but at least it made you look. Without that step, whatever you don't define, the model defines, and its default taste is the same for everyone else who didn't define it either.

Back in September, Lovable had added something pointing the other way, aimed at teams: on Business and Enterprise plans, workspace admins can set a default design system for each group, pre-selected on new projects.

Figma: the design system as a rule

On October 15, at Config India, Figma introduced Guidelines: notes you add to published libraries so its agent follows established patterns. It's in open beta on paid plans. The same day it opened code layers (working code on the canvas) and Specs in beta, and made its agent generally available.

It's the opposite idea: taste doesn't come from the model. Your team sets it once and the agent has to respect it every time.

What it means for you

Slop isn't a property of AI. It's what happens when nobody decides and the default decides for you. Lovable saves you a decision; Figma asks you to write it down once so it holds everywhere.

  • If you use Lovable, bring the decision the builder no longer asks for into your prompt: your typeface, your colors with their codes, the corner radius and the sections you don't want. The prompts guide has a brief to copy.
  • If you work in a team, a minimal design system (one page with six colors, two typefaces and a type scale) beats any prompt, because it also applies to the project someone starts on a Friday night.
  • Either way, review what came out before you ship it. What each builder leaves behind is in the Lovable, v0 and Bolt guide.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Does Lovable still ask about design?

Yes, differently. According to its changelog, instead of showing three directions to choose from, it asks about color, typography and layout when the prompt leaves the look open.

What are Figma Guidelines?

Notes added to a published design library so Figma's agent follows its patterns while it works. Figma announced them on October 15, 2026, in open beta on paid plans.