Last Updated: January 27, 2026 | Review Stance: From a dev who hates Figma loading screens

$ cat TLDR.md

BareMinimum.design is the chaotic good hack for devs who type faster than they click Figma. Prompt "dashboard with sidebar" → instant ASCII skeleton → drag with arrows → export shadcn code or PNG. UI Audit turns screenshots into fix suggestions. Free tier generous enough for real work, pro "absurd" but cheap. No vision BS, pure text. I laughed, then shipped a prototype in 4 mins.

# First boot: Why I even tried this

Ok confession: I hate design tools. Figma feels like death by layers. Last week I was like "just give me ASCII art so I can paste into Cursor and let it code". Found bareminimum.design. Prompted "simple login page dark mode". Boom—actual usable wireframe in monospace. Dragged the button a bit with spacebar + arrows. Felt like cheating. Tested 20+ prompts since, including screenshot audits. This is my unfiltered log.

No fluff: it's niche, it's weird, it's brilliant for vibe coders who think in text.

$ grep "solo dev"

Quick sketches before prompting Cursor/Claude.

$ grep "handoff"

Paste ASCII to v0/Lovable → instant code.

$ grep "audit"

Upload bad UI screenshot → get ASCII roast + fixes.

$ grep "team meme"

Generate pricing tables for standup laughs.

# ls features/

> cat core.txt

  • prompt > ASCII: "user profile card with stats" → instant layout.
  • keyboard drag: Space to grab, arrows move, escape drop. Terminal vim energy.
  • exports on steroids: Text, MD, PNG, or full shadcn/ui React code.
  • UI Audit: Upload screenshot → ASCII critique + suggested fixes.
  • AI handoff: Copy → paste to Cursor/v0 → code gen.
  • API for scripts: curl it into your build pipeline.

# dmesg | grep performance

Generation < 5s. Dragging feels responsive. Exports are clean—shadcn code actually works out of box. Audit catches obvious spacing issues but won't replace real design eye. Free tier handles most side projects; pro for unlimited API spam.

> grep "wins"

Zero Figma tax
shadcn export slaps
Audit roasts accurately
API for automation
Terminal joy

# cat pricing.txt

Free Tier

$0

Generous af

  • Unlimited basic prompts
  • Exports + drag
  • Limited audits/API
  • Good for daily

Pro / Absurd

Low $/mo

Unlimited chaos

  • Full API + audits
  • Priority gen
  • More exports
  • Worth if hooked

2026 note: Free still covers 90% use. Pro "absurd" but actually reasonable. No hidden gotchas.

# diff pros cons

++ Wins

  • Zero design tool install
  • shadcn export is gold
  • Audit feature underrated
  • Feels like cheating (good way)
  • Free tier actually useful
  • Terminal dopamine hit

-- Oof

  • ASCII limits complexity
  • Audit can be brutally honest
  • No visual preview beyond PNG
  • Niche—don't show PMs

Exit code: 8.8/10

If you're a dev who thinks in code first and design second, this is stupidly useful. Saved me from opening Figma 15 times last month. Free tier slaps, pro cheap, vibe 100%. Try it—worst case you get a laugh from the AI reviews.

Speed: 9.5/10
Fun: 9.2/10
Value: 9.0/10
Utility: 8.3/10

$ curl -s https://bareminimum.design | sh ?

Nah just click—free credits, no install. Generate your first wireframe in 10s.

> bareminimum.design

Free tier waiting as of Jan 2026.

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