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AI App Design Tutorial: Your First Professional Mockup in 10 Minutes

·7 min read·By GenDesigns Team

This tutorial takes you from never having designed anything to creating professional mobile app screens with AI. Whether you learn better through video or text, we've got you covered.

What you'll create: A complete mobile app design with multiple screens, consistent styling, and professional UI patterns.

Time required: 10-15 minutes for your first design.

Skill level: Complete beginner—no design experience needed.

Video Tutorial

Watch the complete walkthrough to see AI app design in action. In under 2 minutes, you'll see how to go from an app idea to polished mobile screens.

Prefer reading? The complete written tutorial is below.

Video Timestamps

If you're following along with the video:

TimeTopic
0:00Introduction and what we're building
0:20Writing your first prompt
0:45Watching AI generate designs
1:15Reviewing the generated screens
1:30Making refinements
1:45Final results and export options

Written Tutorial

Let's walk through the same process step by step.

What We're Building

For this tutorial, we'll design a habit tracking app. It's simple enough to complete quickly but complex enough to demonstrate key concepts.

Our app will help users build daily habits with:

  • A dashboard showing today's habits
  • Progress tracking over time
  • Streak counters for motivation
  • Simple habit management

Step 1: Open GenDesigns

Go to gendesigns.ai and sign up for a free account. You'll see a chat interface—this is where you'll describe your app.

Think of it like texting a talented designer friend. You explain what you want, they create it. No design jargon required. GenDesigns works as a text-to-app generator — just describe your idea in plain language and the AI builds it.

Step 2: Write Your Prompt

Here's the prompt we'll use:

Create a habit tracking app for people who want to build better daily routines.

Features:
- Today view showing all habits to complete
- Checkboxes to mark habits done
- Streak counter for each habit
- Weekly progress chart
- Simple add/edit habit functionality

Style: Clean and motivating. Light theme with green accent color (green = progress/growth). Rounded corners, friendly feel. Should make completing habits feel satisfying, not like a chore.

Please generate: Home/today screen, progress/stats screen, and add habit screen.

Copy this into the chat and send it.

Step 3: Watch the Generation

After you send your prompt, the AI processes your description and generates designs. This typically takes 30-60 seconds.

You'll see screens appearing in the canvas area. Each screen follows the same visual theme—consistent colors, fonts, and spacing throughout.

Step 4: Review Your Designs

Take a moment to review what was generated:

Home/Today Screen: This should show habits to complete with checkboxes and streak counters. Is the most important information (today's habits) prominently displayed?

Progress Screen: Look for visual charts showing your history. The data visualization should be clear and motivating.

Add Habit Screen: A form for creating new habits. Check that it's simple and not overwhelming.

Step 5: Make Refinements

Your first generation is a starting point. Let's refine it.

Try these follow-up prompts:

To adjust colors:

Change the green accent to a softer sage green, less vibrant

To modify a specific screen:

On the home screen, make the checkboxes larger and add a celebration animation placeholder for when habits are completed

To add elements:

Add a motivational quote section at the bottom of the home screen

To change the overall feel:

Make the design feel more premium and minimal—reduce visual clutter

Each refinement takes just seconds. Experiment until it feels right.

Step 6: Export Your Design

When you're happy with the results:

  1. Click on the export option
  2. Choose your format:
    • PNG for presentations and mockups
    • HTML + Tailwind for development handoff
  3. Download your files

That's it. You've designed a mobile app.

Ready to go further? Turn any app idea into a complete design with text-to-app — just describe what you want and watch it come to life.

Practice Exercises

Now that you know the basics, try these exercises to build confidence:

Exercise 1: Simple To-Do App

Design a minimal to-do list app. Keep it simple:

  • List of tasks
  • Way to add tasks
  • Way to mark complete

Focus on making it feel clean and satisfying.

Exercise 2: Weather App

Design a weather app showing:

  • Current conditions
  • Weekly forecast
  • Location selection

Practice describing visual style—try making it feel "calm" or "energetic."

Exercise 3: Recipe App

Design a recipe browsing app with:

  • Recipe cards with photos
  • Recipe detail view with ingredients
  • Search/filter functionality

This one has more screens—practice creating a cohesive experience.

Common Beginner Questions

What if my first design isn't what I wanted?

That's normal and expected. The first generation is a starting point. Use follow-up prompts to refine: "Make it more minimal," "Change the colors to blue," "Add a navigation bar at the bottom."

How specific should my prompts be?

More specific generally equals better results. Instead of "make a social app," try "make an app for sharing book recommendations with friends, with a cozy library aesthetic." For more advanced techniques, check out our complete guide to designing mobile apps with AI.

Can I design for both iOS and Android?

Yes. Specify in your prompt: "Follow iOS design patterns" or "Use Material Design (Android) style." You can also generate both versions.

What if I don't know design terminology?

You don't need it. Describe things in plain language: "lots of white space," "big, easy-to-tap buttons," "friendly and not corporate." The AI understands intent.

How many screens can I generate?

Start with 3-4 core screens that represent your main user flows. You can always add more by asking: "Generate a settings screen" or "Add an onboarding flow."

Quick Tips for Better Results

Start simple: Your first prompt doesn't need to include everything. You can add features and screens through iteration.

Use comparisons: "Similar to [popular app] but [your twist]" is effective. "Like Spotify but for podcast discovery" tells the AI a lot.

Describe your users: "For teenagers" produces different designs than "for seniors." User context matters.

Name specific screens: "Include home, profile, and settings screens" ensures you get what you need. For a full checklist of what to include, see our mobile app design checklist.

Iterate freely: Every refinement is instant. Don't settle for "okay"—push for "this is exactly what I wanted."

Next Steps

Now that you've created your first AI-generated app design, here's where to go next:

Deepen Your Skills

Build Your App

Get Inspired

  • Browse the public gallery to see what others have created
  • Try recreating apps you admire to practice prompt writing

Share Your Results

Created something cool? Share it on X/Twitter and tag @gen_designs_ai. We love seeing what the community creates.

Happy designing!

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