Stacks / 8 workflow stages · v3.1.0 · reviewed 2026-09-05
Ship a Polished AI Web App
Go from visual direction to components, AI interaction, implementation, accessibility, and browser QA.
Best for
Teams building an AI product where the interface has to feel production-grade, not like a generic chatbot demo.
Outcome
A responsive AI web experience with a coherent visual system, reusable components, model interaction, and release-level QA.
Not for
Back-end-only AI services or internal automations with little user-interface surface area.
Operator guidance
Best whenThe product needs a production UI around streaming, tools, and persistent conversation state.
Avoid whenA static prototype or internal utility does not justify a full application shell.
CompatibilityAlign the AI SDK, framework runtime, authentication, persistence, accessibility, and browser-test strategy before adopting a template.
Use this as a decision framework, not a mandatory shopping list. Swap or skip layers based on your existing stack, constraints, and risk profile.
1. Establish visual direction
Start from real product references so the design has a concrete interaction and visual direction before implementation.
- The Component Gallery
Recommendation details
Why: Consider The Component Gallery as an alternative for 1. Establish visual direction; compare its documented capabilities and operating constraints with the primary recommendation.
Best when: 2,000+ real component examples across dozens of production design systems.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: The Component Gallery official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
- 21st.dev
Recommendation details
Why: Consider 21st.dev as an alternative for 1. Establish visual direction; compare its documented capabilities and operating constraints with the primary recommendation.
Best when: Massive AI-ready community catalog of React UI.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: 21st.dev official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
Recommendation details
Best when: Real product screens, flows and AI-oriented design research.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: Refero official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
2. Build the component foundation
Use composable components that can be adapted to a product-specific design rather than locking the UI into a rigid theme.
- Radix UI
Recommendation details
Why: Consider Radix UI as an alternative for 2. Build the component foundation; compare its documented capabilities and operating constraints with the primary recommendation.
Best when: Accessible primitives.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: Radix UI official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
- Base UI
Recommendation details
Why: Consider Base UI as an alternative for 2. Build the component foundation; compare its documented capabilities and operating constraints with the primary recommendation.
Best when: Unstyled accessible React components.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: Base UI official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
Recommendation details
Best when: Copy-owned React components and registry ecosystem.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: shadcn/ui official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
3. Add purposeful interaction
Use motion and visual effects selectively where they improve hierarchy, feedback, or product feel.
- Motion Primitives
Recommendation details
Why: Consider Motion Primitives as an alternative for 3. Add purposeful interaction; compare its documented capabilities and operating constraints with the primary recommendation.
Best when: Motion-focused React primitives.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: Motion Primitives official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
- React Bits
Recommendation details
Why: Consider React Bits as an alternative for 3. Add purposeful interaction; compare its documented capabilities and operating constraints with the primary recommendation.
Best when: Animation-heavy React components.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: React Bits official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
Recommendation details
Best when: Animated React components and effects.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: Magic UI official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
4. Build the application shell
Use a production React framework for routing, rendering, and application structure.
- React
Recommendation details
Why: Consider React as an alternative for 4. Build the application shell; compare its documented capabilities and operating constraints with the primary recommendation.
Best when: Canonical React documentation.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: React official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
Recommendation details
Best when: Canonical Next.js docs.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: Next.js official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
5. Add AI interaction
Use a purpose-built application layer for streaming model responses and common AI UI patterns.
- AI Elements
Recommendation details
Why: Consider AI Elements as an alternative for 5. Add AI interaction; compare its documented capabilities and operating constraints with the primary recommendation.
Best when: UI building blocks for AI experiences.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: AI Elements official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
Recommendation details
Best when: Build AI applications and chat interfaces.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: Vercel AI SDK official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
6. Check usability
Review the interface against durable usability principles before polishing only the aesthetics.
- Laws of UX
Recommendation details
Why: Consider Laws of UX as an alternative for 6. Check usability; compare its documented capabilities and operating constraints with the primary recommendation.
Best when: Concise psychology and UX principles that Claude can use as a design-review rubric.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: Laws of UX official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
Recommendation details
Best when: Classic usability heuristics; excellent context for having Claude critique interfaces.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: Nielsen Norman: 10 Usability Heuristics official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
7. Check accessibility
Catch contrast, keyboard, semantic, and interaction problems before release.
- The A11Y Project
Recommendation details
Why: Consider The A11Y Project as an alternative for 7. Check accessibility; compare its documented capabilities and operating constraints with the primary recommendation.
Best when: Practical accessibility checklists and patterns Claude can use during implementation and review.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: The A11Y Project official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
Recommendation details
Best when: Filterable canonical accessibility requirements.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: WCAG 2.2 Quick Reference official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
8. Test real flows
Verify the experience in a real browser across the user journeys that matter.
- Chrome DevTools Plugin
Recommendation details
Why: Consider Chrome DevTools Plugin as an alternative for 8. Test real flows; compare its documented capabilities and operating constraints with the primary recommendation.
Best when: Give Claude DevTools-level access to performance traces, network requests and live browser debugging.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: Chrome DevTools Plugin official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
Recommendation details
Best when: Reliable browser automation Claude can operate through code.
Avoid when: Avoid when the current official source does not support your required deployment, data-handling, or integration constraints.
Compatibility: Validate interfaces, data formats, and operational handoffs with the adjacent stack stages.
Prerequisites:
- Review the current official source and implementation requirements.
Evidence: Playwright official source (2026-09-05)
Verified 2026-09-05 · Medium confidence
Implementation references
-
Vercel AI Chatbot ↗
A full application reference for streaming chat, persistence, tools, and a production-oriented Next.js shell.
vercel.com · template -
Vercel AI Templates ↗
A focused gallery for comparing current AI SDK interaction and application patterns.
vercel.com · template
Need this workflow built and running, not just linked? EE Solutions implements agentic stacks like this one. EE Solutions is a senior technology team for private capital firms and their portfolio companies.
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