Global Research Reveals Top AI Models for UI/UX Design and Coding Performance
In recent months, I undertook a comprehensive, crowdsourced study to evaluate the performance of various artificial intelligence models in the domains of user interface/user experience (UI/UX) design and programming. By engaging over 5,000 users worldwide and collecting more than 4,000 votes, this research offers valuable insights into which AI tools are leading the charge in creative and technical tasks.
Methodology and Resources
This study was conducted through DesignArena.ai, a platform I developed to allow users to generate websites, games, 3D models, and data visualizations from multiple AI models. Participants could compare outputs directly, providing a robust dataset for analysis. All data and model outputs are open-source and freely generated; I do not profit from this research—it’s purely for informational purposes.
Key Findings
1. Claude and DeepSeek Dominance in Coding and Design
Among the evaluated models, Claude (particularly Claude Opus) emerges as a top performer for both coding and UI design tasks. The leaderboard highlights Claude as the favorite, with several DeepSeek variants—especially v0—also ranking highly, owing to their overcoming of website generation challenges. However, it’s worth noting that DeepSeek models tend to be slower, which makes Claude a preferable choice when speed is essential.
2. The Underappreciated Power of Grok 3
Despite limited mainstream recognition—possibly due to the high-profile controversy surrounding its backer, Elon Musk—Grok 3 stands out as an underrated yet highly capable AI model. It consistently ranks within the top five and offers remarkably quick results, making it a noteworthy contender in this space.
3. Mixed Performance of Gemini 2.5-Pro
Gemini 2.5-Pro presents a varied performance profile. User feedback suggests it excels in certain UI/UX scenarios but often produces subpar app designs elsewhere. Interestingly, it also demonstrates strong coding abilities for business logic, although overall satisfaction remains mixed.
4. The Middle and Bottom Ranks
OpenAI’s GPT models hover in the mid-tier range, providing decent outputs but lacking consistency. Conversely, Meta’s Llama models lag significantly behind competitors—probably a reflection of the company’s current strategic focus on talent acquisition rather than AI development finesse.
Final Thoughts
While AI models are advancing rapidly, they still face considerable hurdles in delivering high-quality, one
