Show HN: I spent 4 years building a UI design tool with only the features I use

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall reception

  • Many commenters praise the visual polish, UX quality, and the persistence required to ship a Figma-like tool as a solo dev.
  • Several express interest in trying it, especially due to the minimal, focused feature set and the stated privacy stance (no in-app tracking/session recording).

What Vecti Is & How It Compares

  • Clarified as a browser-based wireframing / UI design tool similar to Figma: design screens, then hand off to engineers for implementation.
  • Compared often to Figma, Penpot, and Sketch:
    • Penpot: noted as open-source/self-hostable but SVG-based and therefore allegedly slower on large projects; Vecti uses canvas + WebAssembly like Figma.
    • Sketch: cited as offline-first with a strong web companion; some prefer its file-based model and one-time purchase, though licensing friction is criticized.
    • Figma: many say Vecti’s UI looks very similar, for better (easy familiarity) or worse (concerns about originality and lawsuits).

Feature Philosophy & 80/20 Debate

  • Core pitch: ship only the features the creator actually uses, avoiding bloat and plugins.
  • This sparks a long discussion around Joel Spolsky’s “80/20” argument:
    • One side: everyone uses a different 20%, so minimal tools risk missing crucial features for most users.
    • Other side: it’s valid to build tightly focused tools for a specific niche; success doesn’t require serving the entire market.
    • Some call for ecosystems of many small, sharp tools plus plugins; others prefer opinionated apps with no toggles or plugin complexity.

Business Model & Pricing

  • Seat-based subscription draws comparisons to Figma’s similar pricing; some find the price high for a less mature tool.
  • Initial wording (“$12 annually”) caused confusion; later corrected.
  • Suggestions include aggressive undercutting (e.g., “price of one month of Figma for a year”) to incentivize switching, especially in Europe where Figma prices are rising.
  • Several note that as a solo dev, a small but loyal niche could be enough; others stress enterprise hurdles (SSO, integrations, standardization on Figma).

Missing / Desired Capabilities

  • Commonly requested before switching:
    • Auto layout, components, color palettes, robust SVG/image handling.
    • Simple prototyping (click/scroll) for user testing.
    • Code exports (React/SwiftUI/etc.), though others argue this mapping is inherently non-trivial.
    • Offline-first mode, local files, sandbox use without signup, and better keyboard-shortcut parity with Figma/Sketch.
  • Some performance complaints (slower than incumbents, heavy marketing page) contrast with the engine’s performance goals.

Legal & Design Similarity Concerns

  • A few worry the UI copies Figma’s layout too closely; others counter that general UI patterns (side panels, property inspectors) aren’t protectable and note Figma itself followed Sketch’s conventions.
  • References to past lawsuits (Figma vs. Motiff, Adobe vs. Macromedia) appear, but there is disagreement on how relevant they are in this case.

AI, Alternatives, and Ecosystem

  • One commenter claims building such tools “from scratch” is obsolete in the age of AI; others defend bespoke tools as analogous to cooking vs. ready meals.
  • Some point to Penpot and other open-source/self-host options for users who prioritize control and modifiability.
  • A few are excited about future integrations like MCP servers and about exploring unconventional, language- or code-driven design workflows inspired by this space.