Apple researchers have introduced SQUIRE, an experimental AI-powered tool that helps developers design and refine user interfaces with tighter control and clearer outcomes than typical AI coding tools. The system focuses on solving a common issue developers face when using natural language prompts, where results often feel unpredictable and require repeated trial and error to fix unintended changes.
Apple explains that natural language improves flexibility in development workflows, but it also creates ambiguity and inconsistent outputs that slow down progress. To address this, SQUIRE changes how developers interact with AI by linking each prompt to a specific part of the interface instead of applying changes across the entire UI, which keeps edits focused and easier to manage.
How SQUIRE improves UI design workflow
“In SQUIRE, users start a project by providing a prompt that describes their goals for the UI, along with sample data containing information for SQUIRE to use as a reference.”
Apple researchers describe how developers build interfaces step by step using a structured system where the UI forms a tree of components, and each part can be refined independently. As a result, developers can fill missing pieces by prompting the system to suggest multiple options for a specific section, and each option updates a live preview and underlying code instantly.
This approach makes it easier to compare different layouts or components without losing earlier work, while also giving developers the freedom to experiment with new ideas since every change stays controlled and reversible.
Focused edits and predictable results
“The user can also pose targeted requests to modify the appearance of specific areas of the UI, with the guarantee that no code outside the intended scope will be mutated.”
This design ensures that changes remain limited to the exact area developers want to modify, which removes the frustration of unintended edits that often happen with AI tools. As a result, developers spend less time correcting errors and more time refining the interface.
What the developer study reveals
“Participants felt encouraged to take risks when making changes, knowing that the consequences of making atypical decisions could always be undone without friction.”
Apple researchers tested SQUIRE with 11 frontend developers and found that users explored more design options, trusted the system to follow their intent, and reported high satisfaction with both usability and output quality. Developers also showed more confidence when making changes since they knew they could easily undo or adjust them without affecting the rest of the project.
How SQUIRE works behind the scenes
SQUIRE uses an intermediate structure called SquireIR, which represents the interface as a tree with defined slots that developers can fill over time. This system allows the tool to generate multiple UI variations and convert them into working code using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, while keeping the structure stable and predictable during edits.
SQUIRE remains an experimental system and Apple has not released it publicly, but the approach shows clear potential for future developer tools, especially if Apple brings this level of control and interaction into Xcode or similar platforms.
