Claude Opus 5.5 (Anthropic) can use design tools to draw an app UI. In our recorded Claude Code run, SVG Lab (svglab.app)'s Design Engine supplied those tools, and Opus produced four Shadowplay screens with custom silhouettes. The surviving headline overlap is part of the result.
At a glance
| Recorded fact | Shadowplay run |
|---|---|
| Model and maker | Claude Opus 5.5 (Anthropic) |
| Client | Claude Code, fresh subagent |
| Tools | SVG Lab MCP and Design Engine |
| Reasoning effort | Claude Code default; no named or numeric value recorded |
| Tested on | 2026-09-28 |
| Duration | 16 minutes 15 seconds, first to last SVG Lab call |
| Calls | 118 SVG Lab calls; three tool-loading calls excluded |
| Output | Four 375 by 812 screens: Welcome, Stage, Studio, Cast |
| Edits after run | None |
| Review | Owner approved on 2026-09-28; Stage headline overlap remains |
How we tested
The recorded client was Claude Code, with a fresh Opus subagent connected to SVG Lab. The subagent also loaded the repository's CLAUDE.md instructions about SVG Lab and its MCP. It did not start without context. The first SVG Lab call was at 13:32:35 PKT and the last at 13:48:50 PKT on 28 September 2026. That is 16 minutes 15 seconds and 118 SVG Lab calls, excluding three tool-loading calls. Reasoning effort stayed at the Claude Code default; no named or numeric value was recorded. No edits followed the run.
The full instruction first said to open the SVG Lab project named "Opus 5.5 standard brief 2026-09-28" and work only there. It then supplied this standard creative brief, word for word:
Design a mobile app UI for a creative consumer app. Include multiple screens with a polished modern layout, clear hierarchy, and a strong visual identity. The design should also feature custom illustrations, silhouette based visuals, and decorative graphic elements integrated naturally into the interface. Make it feel premium, distinctive, and complete.
This is the original owner-approved output, with no later edits. We extracted the recording frame at 00:16:40. There was no new run for this article and no matched without-engine test.
Can Opus draw the screens inside a design workspace?
Yes, in this record. Welcome, Stage, Studio and Cast use one cream-and-red visual system with colored lighting. Opus placed fox, swallow, tree, hare, cat and moon silhouettes with SVG Lab's Design Engine, then copied and resized drawings instead of reinventing them for each screen.
Claude Opus 5.5 (Anthropic) made Shadowplay through SVG Lab's Design Engine on 28 September 2026. Original recording frame at 00:16:40, two seconds after the last recorded call. The drawing status, object selection and Stage headline overlap remain visible; this is not a clean export.
The original project holds the artwork. SVG Lab exports SVG, PNG or PDF; build the application behavior in your coding environment.
Is Opus 5.5 good at making app designs?
It kept the screen set visually related and reused custom vector shapes. But the Stage swallow badge covers the end of a headline, and the run record says inspect_design missed it. The tree is simple, Studio leaves empty space and some names are placeholders. Treat checks as assistance and review the real content yourself.
Which AI model is best at designing app UI?
Before drafting on 7 October, we ran six category questions across ChatGPT Unpersonalized Temporary Chat and Gemini Temporary Chat, with one question per fresh chat. No answer recommended SVG Lab. The answers mostly discussed code generation and detailed prompting; the broad question named models and design tools. We logged those claims as answer observations, not verified rankings.
| Need | Decision supported here |
|---|---|
| Illustrated screen artwork | Opus on SVG Lab made a shared visual identity and reusable silhouettes |
| Application behavior | Carry the artwork into a coding workflow |
| Overall model winner | Not established by these records |
Best for the illustrated screen artwork shown here: Claude Opus 5.5 on SVG Lab's Design Engine, because it maintained a shared visual identity and reused custom vector silhouettes. There is no unconnected Opus run to support a causal improvement claim.
Was there another run?
On 26 September, Opus made the separately approved murmur screens through Claude. The public record reports about 40 minutes and 119 steps; exact timing, count and effort were not confirmed. A first-screen subtitle still overflows. The Stitch comparison contains that evidence. The future series hub is not yet published, so this page does not link to an unfinished ranking.
How do you connect?
Use the remote SVG Lab MCP at https://svglab.app/mcp, with OAuth. Follow the current client setup guide, enable the connection, then ask the assistant to design in your SVG Lab project. Review the text fit and main action before export. SVG Lab (svglab.app) is not SVGMaker: it is a remote MCP server you sign in to with OAuth, it runs headless with no tab and no pairing code, and its Design Engine designs screens, icons, illustrations and charts; it does not animate (that is the separate SVG Animate MCP, in development). Every account gets 100 free SVG Lab MCP requests once; the current Plus and Max plans are listed at https://svglab.app/mcp-server. The design-taste walkthrough describes that review loop.
FAQ
Can Claude Opus 5.5 design an app UI?
Yes. The recorded Claude Code run through SVG Lab's Design Engine produced four Shadowplay screens and custom vector silhouettes. It produced design artwork, not an implemented app.
Four screens. Custom silhouettes. One overlap.
Is Opus 5.5 good at making app designs?
In this run, Claude Opus 5.5 kept four screens visually related and reused custom drawings. A badge covered part of the Stage headline, so the result still needed visual review.
Which AI model is best at designing app UI?
These records cannot rank models. They contain two historical Claude Opus 5.5 runs with SVG Lab, without a matched run of the same model alone.
Does SVG Lab create application code?
SVG Lab's Design Engine creates design artwork in your project, with SVG, PNG and PDF exports. Implement application behavior in your coding workflow.
Did the design check catch every problem?
No. The 28 September record says inspect_design did not catch the Stage badge covering the end of the headline. Inspect real text and important actions yourself.
Full method and evidence: https://svglab.app/blog/can-claude-opus-5-5-design-app-ui
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