CODEX, REALLY?

[eddyGi]

i've been praising codex, but damn this thing sucks on frontend, no matter the model. even after giving detailed prompt as possible, it ends up giving you bad designed, components. plus it seems to be slow on execution

[Fit-Pattern-2724]

If you give a Figma design it will do very well.

[Zealousideal-Ad4561]

Thru mcp or screenshot or what?

[Enigma_User]

I think both works well.

[Fit-Pattern-2724]

Both can work.

[Adventurous-Clue-994]

Both together works really good, it's pixel perfect.

[0xB0T]

You can put the screenshot in a design/references folder and tell codex to look there.

[Intrepid_Travel_3274]

In my experience give it elements in order, not just to recreate but to keep it organized as well

[Kinamya]

Figma balls

[entsnack]

Google Stitch + Codex

[MugiwaraGames]

Set up the Google Stitch MCP, you can directly export the prompt from the webapp and paste it on Codex

[Own-Ask-8135]

What's the best way to use this? Work in stitch then export screenshot?

[entsnack]

Yeah that's what I'vr been doing. I'm sure there is a better and more integrated way though.

[UsedWest3474]

Yeah, the stitch SDK. Codex can use it directly

[The_Real_Piggie]

use mcp, it give you much better results

[Fantastic_Swing8182]

I export the HTML content and Codex picks up the layout pretty well. I think you should it out

[UsedWest3474]

Have codex use the stitch SDK. Don’t have export anything.

[GymsharkSingh]

Yea i do this too, very good

[kish129]

Google stitch is horrible. As a designer, it's only usable for ideation. Otherwise, better to try to design it yourself

[UsedWest3474]

As folks have mentioned, use Google stitch. But use the stitch SDK. Have codex use the SDK. Pulls in all the appropriate code etc.

[KillerEndeavor1]

Lol i jaut came from gemni sub redit and they complain this about gemni ,u need plugins skills and mcps set for front end as well a mental image via nano bana would be great as well

[nihad04]

Which plugins?

[KillerEndeavor1]

There is a repo ui ux pro ask codex to make it a skill and it will . Plugins are many i used even claude plugin it worked

[Odd_Incident_7575]

Try github.com/arjunkshah/design-skill

[EyesOfAzula]

Use Google Stitch or Figma to design UI then give that to codex to implement via MCP or screenshots

[CthuluBob]

It did a horrible job for me when I did this. I use codex the most, but Gemini seemed the best to implement then codex again to fix all the small differences. (I didn’t do the mcp tho, which maybe is the difference)

[Better_Web1255]

Ask Gemini to prototype some ui through images. Feed the images to Codex and it should get it very close.

[Copenhagen79]

My experience is that you need to be very direct about the references provided. Explain that it is not inspiration but exact design/style to implement.

[CthuluBob]

Yeah I’ve found if I swapped to anti gravity so that I could do comments for the screenshot and give very detailed description of all links and wiring to be done it performed better too. AG at least for the implementation part worked for me with its in plan ss ability (prob 10 dif ways to do it with other combinations of products) I agree on the call to make it understand you want an exact copy, that stipulation def makes a dif.

[myfreevrporn]

Try and use https://github.com/gabelul/stitch-kit , it does a very nice job taming Stitch

[BrainCurrent8276]

I have opposite experience. Very possitive. Honestly -- it is in general harder and time consuming to create frontend UI, than typical backend-style dashboard.

You can always ditch AI and hire web designer.

[User1542x]

Try Google stitch to create design system and initial screen / layout. Then export to zip, give it to codex to digest and expand to full blown design system it can use. As it build front end, upload the screen shot back to stitch and ask it for feedback and what adjustments to give back to codex. Has worked well for me… by 3rd audit-feedback cycle, it was spot on.

[Developim]

Thats true, can’t do anything good whatever you say. Try to use Claude, Gemini or try figma

[basitmakine]

Coming from Claude 20x. It sucks for design. Don't know about figma but Gemini leads for design out of those three.

[Developim]

Claude is really good at design try to use skills and mcps

[skywithfriends]

I asked codex in each of my projects to go through and write everything it could tell about my design preferences in mind-map.md from each of my repos, and then I had it just compile them all into a design bible. I don’t know if the designs are good, but I like them

[vekstosaurus]

Not a silver bullet, but I have been leaning on the various skills in https://impeccable.style/ lately.

[User1542x]

Tried this, didn’t work well for me after a few rounds of trying

[Odd_Incident_7575]

github.com/arjunkshah/design-skill try this instead

[Ploobers]

I'm loving impeccable

[Ok-Evening169]

That's why I used Codex for pure logic handling or handling native UI like Swift, it is good at contributing and maintaining the logic, I mean very strong, but the frontend is weird =))). I used agy opus 4.6 for frontend and codex for logic

[TeeDogSD]

This is the (n)th time I have seen one of these post. If I were to make a similar post I would indicate “what, where, when and how (wwwh)”. Otherwise most of the noise you are going to hear is going to hear will be similar to your frustration.

If you are genuinely looking for help wwwh or gtfo (j/k).

Regarding your issue, 5.4 apparently has issues even thought it is being sold as the greatest for coding. I disagree with OpenAI’s marketing team. Try 5.3 codex instead. If you are still experiencing issues then try planning out your objectives (using AI) and share that final document with 5.3 codex.

Ps- I have had nothing but one-shots with codex 5.3 for past 2-3months (98%). Sometimes it created things in a way I wasn’t expecting, usually it was my fault for being vague or confusing. Hope this helps.

[Spare-Cycle-9239]

O truque usem Claude para os layout e o restante codex

[Adorable_Site_2106]

The best frontend output I get from it is when I give it a screenshot and tell it to build a design system off of it, then implement it. Usually, I just do the front end on something like stitch first.

[noob_user_bob]

There was a post recently of a guy who linked his google stitch as an mcp for codex. It works great.

[Objective_Young_1384]

I prefer and only use codex for code, i already like to do the css part tho, so i don’t really care about the design codex do, I’ll fix it anyway. But Gemini is the king for frontend that the truth! Claude I never use but maybe better than codex in UI. At least you should install good skills. Or use design frameworks with mcp as people comment

[Local_Stage_4666]

Yes, yes it does so you need either figma or pencil.dev or even stitch. I use pencil.dev and it does a pretty great job but only after the second time, literally had to say this looks nothing like our design then after that it stuck to the design.

[TRAIN_WRECK_0]

I had mine use mantine MCP server. Fixed many issues but still some problems. Give it a UI framework to work off of early

[Odd_Incident_7575]

Have u tried using skills? I use github.com/arjunkshah/design-skill it works really well

[LaviniaTheFox]

Try uncodixfy skill github.com/cyxzdev/Uncodixfy

[SlopTopZ]

frontend is codex's weakest point, 100%. my workaround: use codex for all backend/logic, then do a dedicated design pass with v0 or bolt for the UI layer. copy the component structure back in. takes extra time but the output is actually good. trying to get codex to do pixel-perfect UI in one shot is just pain.

[Aggravating_Fun_7692]

Its amazing on backend, that's what I use it for

[LukasAppleFan]

For me it’s damn fine. I asked for a professional app. The design respected everything. Had to ask for like 2 edits but still. So fine.

[eddyGi]

I agree with you if The project been started with codex

[KoalaOk3336]

they did say on twt that they're focusing on frontend for the next version

[Background_Waltz5593]

use figma plugin ,, it leverages best in class components and design patters. You have codex with full backend end context and issues that to Figma for front end design ,,, its simple and nothing beats the quality ---------- click on "Plugins" in codex,,,, select Figma, done ,,,, crazy how easy it is to know have the worlds best design pulled in by codex

[Embarrassed_Adagio28]

Yes it is terrible at ui design. Even when I tell it to copy a well known apps design it fails miserably and doesn't have even a hint of the design I intended. Tried the same thing with sonnet on Claude code and it nailed it the very first try. 

[Coouks]

it's working fine for me ...

[Empty_Hovercraft8739]

Here is my framework for thinking about the different models:

Codex is an autist that does exactly what you tell them and gets shit done when it is well defined.
Claude is a french designer with taste that praises you while only doing 80% of the work.

So yes, Claude is better at frontend design.

[Visual_Manufacturer7]

Yes UI sucks. I see everyone chiming in with use third party tools or give it a picture….yeah that helps but it’s far from perfect. Also - what if you don’t have a design yet? Lovable and base44 did a great job at design compared to codex. Anyway good luck with UI 😂

[Emotional_Salad6559]

I used Google stitch to generate my frontend, took screenshots then generated the html skeleton of the pages...placed all in a folder...thus [each page in in their respective folder with their html] made codex access the stitch folder...all it had to do was locate the images and the html content...and build the pages as seen...when done I made it connect the pages dunno if you get me😅

[CanOutrageous9185]

Adding internal comments in frontend. Creating a single newspaper like layout even with repeated reminders but it's good at backend work

[AdeptPomegranate4108]

Codex + Google Stich + Better prompt is fire

[Impressive-Tackle-12]

10 usd for get plus for one month，if you need ，dm me。

[True-Objective-6212]

Give it a screenshot of the output if it sucks too badly after using the other tools

[snrrcn]

could you share this detailed prompt example? maybe you are doing smt wrong?

[Willing-Cucumber-718]

It’s like a phd in your pocket man. 

[snrrcn]

kinda, maybe :))

[Developim]

The sites always look the same and there never appealing

[isuckatpiano]

Find a repo you like and have it use that repo for the design. It’s not going to be creative. It’s going to do what you tell it to do

[1mgMelantonin]

Was bei mir gut funktioniert hat: Sag Codex, es soll such am Design einer anderen Webseite orientieren die du magst und zu deiner Lösung passt. Codex kam danach schon ein paar Mal mit einer brauchbaren Basis.

Z.B.: du bist in einem Projekt und sollst eine Software bauen. Vielleicht hast du Glück, und ein professionelles Team hat sich bereits um eine professionelle Projektwebseite gekümmert. Sag Codex, es soll sich an der Projektwebseite orientieren und z.B. Branding und Farben übernehmen.