- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
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If you’ve been researching how to create a website lately, chances are you’ve come across the term “vibe coding.” In web design, it’s when you chat with an AI tool to generate a fully functional site.
Let me say first, it’s pretty impressive. And yes, you can vibe code a whole website. But if you’ve actually tried, you’ve likely hit a wall at some point. Because the truth is, vibe coding is amazing for creating a first draft but falls short when it comes to finishing it.
Let’s take a look at why.
The limitations of 'classic' vibe coding
If I had to put a number on it, vibe coding gets you to the 80% mark of your final website super fast. It usually nails the structure and the general aesthetic you’re looking for. But the moment you try to fine-tune that last 20% to your brand, you enter what I call “prompt purgatory.”
Here’s a typical scenario:
You want the logo to appear slightly larger at the top of your website. You prompt AI to fix it. AI makes it too large. You ask it to shrink it back. It reduces its size but messes up your logo’s alignment with the menu. You ask it to fix the menu. It changes the font.
Suddenly, instead of designing, you’re negotiating with AI. You’re trying to describe visual nuance with text. You get stuck in a loop.
It’s inefficient, and frankly, it kills your creative flow.
The “generic” trap
The other issue with relying 100% on vibe coding is the output itself. AI models are trained on averages. If you ask it to create a site for a “modern coffee shop,” it gives you the mathematical average of every modern coffee shop on the internet.
The resulting site looks professional, sure. But it lacks the specific choices that human designers make. It lacks the spark. And if you’re working on a vibe coding platform that doesn’t let you touch the design manually, you’re stuck with a site that looks like thousands of others.
Enter the middle ground
Since AI came along, you usually have two choices when creating a website. You can suffer through “prompt purgatory” or create things by hand.
The good news? You don’t have to choose anymore.
Our new editor, Wix Harmony, was built on the belief that the future of web design isn't AI or human—it’s both. It gives you a middle ground where you can use AI for the heavy lifting (speed, structure, mobile optimization) and manual tools for the precision (personal touches, unique interactions, your authentic tone of voice).
This is what we call “hybrid” web design. To make that hybrid flow work, we built Aria, an AI agent who understands natural language and web design. You can just tell Aria what you want to build, and she makes it happen. She’s also trained on millions of real business sites built on Wix, so she gets the nuances of creating different types of websites for different types of businesses. I like to compare her to having a professional designer sitting right beside you.
5 tips for vibe coding a website
Striking that balance between AI assistance and manual control is an art form, but it’s one anyone can learn. Based on how we built Wix Harmony and the successful sites I’ve seen built using the hybrid approach, here are five ways to get it right.
01. Being specific is your superpower
My best advice for working with AI? Be accurate. Be specific.
If you just tell your AI agent, “I'm a mechanic,” you’re going to get something generic: a site showing cars, engines and maybe a wrench icon.
But if you say, “I'm a mechanic specializing in Porsche cars, I take pride in precision, everything in my garage is done by hand,” AI will likely give you much more than just a car. It’ll show measuring tools and close-ups of hands working on metal. It’ll make the font look high-end and create content that shows off your expertise.
02. Use AI as a “repair” tool
Don’t be afraid to get messy. If you change an image size or add text that breaks the visual balance of a section, ask AI to reorganize the content rather than trying to fix the principles of design yourself.
Let it build the structure, choose the font pairings and make sure the mobile view isn't broken. Then, use your manual classic design tools for the final tweaks. That’s the sweet spot.
03. Let AI know who you are (within reason)
You don’t want to waste time writing your life story, but generally, the more context you give your AI agent about your backstory and taste, the more it’ll understand what you need.
For example, give Aria the lowdown on why you started your business, where you are today and your hopes for the future. She’ll remember this information as she creates the content for your site.
Read my other work: How do you choose the right AI agent for web design?
04. Lean on AI for trends
If you aren't sure what “vibe” actually sells in your industry, ask your agent. Since it understands the design expectations for different niches, you can use it as a market researcher.
Ask, “What kind of layout do high-end architects usually use?” and let the data guide you.
05. Know when to switch gears
If you’re new to hybrid design, finding the flow between AI and manual design is a muscle you have to build. The more you create, the more you’ll understand the division of labor.
You’ll learn that Aria can map out your site super fast. But you’ll also realize that you’re the expert who brings intention and taste. And as you spend more time in the weeds with the manual tools, your confidence will naturally grow.
Who knows? You might prefer to handle the 80% yourself and have AI take care of the 20%, instead of the other way around.
It’s your expression that counts
One of the questions I get asked most often is, “If everyone uses AI, won't the internet just become a sea of generic sameness?”
Don’t get me wrong. I get their concerns. There’s a lot of “AI slop” out there already. But right now, I’m much more excited about how we’re democratizing the “sweet spot” that counters it.
With Wix Harmony, we bridge the gap between the two extremes. We allow you to be messy when you want (e.g., telling AI "Just make this look good") and surgical when you need to be (using freeform drag-and-drop tools).
At the end of the day, building a website is about expression and sharing your passion with the world. Don't be afraid to lean on AI to handle the technical stuff like spacing and hierarchy. Let it remove the anxiety of the blank page. But never forget that you’re the source of inspiration.
So, go ahead. See what you can do when you go hybrid.
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