AI-Powered UI Mockups from Whiteboard Sketches

TL;DR: Stop drawing UI mockups – start recording them. Replay uses AI to generate working code directly from video of your whiteboard sketches, bridging the gap between ideation and implementation.

The era of static UI mockups is over. We've all been there: meticulously sketching out interfaces on whiteboards, only to spend countless hours translating those ideas into actual, functional code. This process is slow, error-prone, and often leads to a frustrating disconnect between the initial vision and the final product. It’s time to embrace a new paradigm: behavior-driven reconstruction.

The Problem with Traditional UI Mockups#

Traditional UI design relies heavily on static representations: screenshots, wireframes, and hand-drawn sketches. While these methods are useful for visualizing the layout and structure of an interface, they fall short in capturing the dynamic behavior and user interactions that define a truly engaging user experience.

Think about it. A static mockup shows what the UI looks like, but it doesn't tell you how it behaves. What happens when a user clicks a button? How does the UI respond to different inputs? These crucial details are often left to interpretation, leading to inconsistencies and implementation challenges down the line.

Furthermore, translating static mockups into code is a manual and time-consuming process. Developers have to painstakingly recreate the visual elements and interactions, often relying on guesswork and trial-and-error. This can lead to significant delays, increased development costs, and a final product that doesn't quite match the original design intent.

Introducing Behavior-Driven Reconstruction#

The solution? Video. Video captures not just the visual appearance of the UI, but also the sequence of actions and interactions that define its behavior. By analyzing video recordings of UI mockups, we can extract valuable information about user intent and translate it directly into working code. This is the core principle behind behavior-driven reconstruction, and it's a game-changer for UI development.

Replay leverages the power of Gemini to analyze video recordings of your whiteboard sketches and automatically generate functional UI code. Imagine sketching out a multi-page application on a whiteboard, recording a quick video of yourself interacting with the mockups, and then having Replay generate a fully working prototype in minutes. This is the future of UI development.

How Replay Works: From Video to Code#

Replay takes a radically different approach to UI development. Instead of relying on static screenshots or wireframes, Replay analyzes video recordings of your UI mockups to understand the underlying behavior and intent.

Here's a breakdown of the process:

1. •Video Capture: Record a video of yourself sketching and interacting with your UI mockups on a whiteboard. Make sure to clearly demonstrate the different states and interactions of the UI.
2. •AI-Powered Analysis: Replay uses Gemini to analyze the video, identifying the different UI elements, their relationships, and the user interactions that drive the application's behavior.
3. •Code Generation: Based on the analysis, Replay generates clean, functional code that accurately reflects the behavior and intent captured in the video. This includes generating components, defining event handlers, and implementing state management.
4. •Integration and Customization: The generated code can be easily integrated into your existing projects and customized to meet your specific requirements.

Key Features of Replay#

Replay offers a range of features that make it a powerful tool for UI development:

• •Multi-page Generation: Generate code for entire applications with multiple pages and complex navigation flows.
• •Supabase Integration: Seamlessly integrate with Supabase for data storage and authentication.
• •Style Injection: Customize the look and feel of your UI by injecting custom CSS styles.
• •Product Flow Maps: Visualize the user flow through your application with automatically generated product flow maps.

Replay vs. Traditional Methods#

Let's compare Replay to traditional UI mockup tools and existing AI-powered solutions:

📝 Note: Replay's ability to understand user intent from video is a game-changer. Screenshot-to-code tools can only recreate what they see, while Replay understands why a user is interacting with the UI in a certain way.

A Practical Example: Building a Simple To-Do App#

Let's walk through a simple example of using Replay to build a to-do app.

Step 1: Sketch and Record#

1. •Sketch out the basic UI of your to-do app on a whiteboard. This should include:
   • •An input field for adding new tasks
   • •A button to add the task
   • •A list to display the tasks
   • •A checkbox to mark tasks as complete
2. •Record a video of yourself interacting with the mockup. Demonstrate adding a new task, marking a task as complete, and deleting a task. Speak clearly and explain what you're doing.

Step 2: Upload to Replay#

Upload the video to Replay. The AI will analyze the video and generate the code.

Step 3: Review and Customize#

Review the generated code. You'll likely want to customize the styling and add additional functionality.

typescript
// Example of generated React code for adding a new task
import React, { useState } from 'react';

const TodoList = () => {
  const [tasks, setTasks] = useState([]);
  const [newTask, setNewTask] = useState('');

  const handleInputChange = (event) => {
    setNewTask(event.target.value);
  };

  const handleAddTask = () => {
    if (newTask.trim() !== '') {
      setTasks([...tasks, { text: newTask, completed: false }]);
      setNewTask('');
    }
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <input
        type="text"
        value={newTask}
        onChange={handleInputChange}
        placeholder="Add new task"
      />
      <button onClick={handleAddTask}>Add</button>
      <ul>
        {tasks.map((task, index) => (
          <li key={index}>
            <input
              type="checkbox"
              checked={task.completed}
              onChange={() => {
                const updatedTasks = [...tasks];
                updatedTasks[index].completed = !task.completed;
                setTasks(updatedTasks);
              }}
            />
            <span>{task.text}</span>
          </li>
        ))}
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
};

export default TodoList;

💡 Pro Tip: The clearer and more deliberate your actions in the video, the more accurate the generated code will be. Narrate your actions while recording for best results.

Step 4: Integrate and Deploy#

Integrate the generated code into your existing project and deploy your app.

The Benefits of Behavior-Driven Reconstruction#

• •Faster Prototyping: Generate working prototypes in minutes instead of days.
• •Improved Accuracy: Capture the nuances of user behavior and translate them directly into code.
• •Reduced Development Costs: Minimize manual coding and reduce the risk of errors.
• •Enhanced Collaboration: Facilitate communication between designers and developers by providing a common understanding of the UI behavior.
• •More Iterative Design: Easily iterate on your designs by recording new videos and regenerating the code.

⚠️ Warning: Replay is not a replacement for skilled developers. It's a tool to accelerate the prototyping process and improve communication. You'll still need developers to refine the generated code and add complex functionality.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited features and usage. Paid plans are available for more advanced features and higher usage limits. Check the pricing page for the latest details.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

v0.dev primarily focuses on generating UI components from text prompts. Replay, on the other hand, analyzes video recordings to understand user behavior and generate complete, interactive UIs. Replay excels at capturing the dynamic aspects of the UI, while v0.dev is better suited for generating static components based on textual descriptions.

What frameworks does Replay support?#

Replay currently supports React and Next.js, with plans to add support for other popular frameworks in the future.

What if Replay misinterprets my video?#

Replay is constantly improving its AI models. If you encounter any issues, you can provide feedback to help improve the accuracy of the code generation. You can also manually edit the generated code to correct any errors.

Can I use Replay for complex UI interactions?#

Yes! Replay is designed to handle complex UI interactions. The more detailed and clear your video recording, the better Replay will be able to understand and translate the interactions into code.

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Ready to try behavior-driven code generation? Get started with Replay - transform any video into working code in seconds.