Last Updated: January 27, 2026 | Review Stance: From a dev who hates Figma loading screens
> cd sections
$ 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"
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.
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.
Free tier waiting as of Jan 2026.


