Design & Content

Tired of Boxy AI Diagrams? An Open-Source Diagram Skill Took Off in a Day.

AI-made diagrams always looked like the same boxes and arrows. The open-source repo diagram-design offers 29 editorial diagram types in pure HTML and SVG with no JavaScript, and it's spreading among developers.

· Huuush

Tired of Boxy AI Diagrams? An Open-Source Diagram Skill Took Off in a Day

Key takeaways

  1. 1Ask an AI agent to draw a diagram and the result is usually the same: rectangular boxes, arrows, and drop shadows in a predictable layout. An open-source repository that tackles this problem head-on is spreading among developers.
  2. 2Miguel Ángel Durán ( @midudev ), a Spanish developer and influencer, introduced the repository cathrynlavery/diagram-design at 12:10 a.m. KST on August 13, 2026, writing: "This repo got 2,000 stars in one day. The reason is that it solves one problem with AI: diagrams." ( original post )
  3. 3The repository is a "skill" for use in Claude Code that draws 29 diagram types in nothing but HTML and SVG, with no JavaScript. At the time of reporting, it had 11,187 stars in total. (Checked directly through the GitHub API, 1 p.m. KST, 2026-08-13)
A grid of nine example diagram types from the diagram-design repository, including architecture, flowchart, and sequence

Ask an AI agent to draw a diagram and the result is usually the same: rectangular boxes, arrows, and drop shadows in a predictable layout. An open-source repository that tackles this problem head-on is spreading among developers.

Miguel Ángel Durán (@midudev), a Spanish developer and influencer, introduced the repository cathrynlavery/diagram-design at 12:10 a.m. KST on August 13, 2026, writing:
"This repo got 2,000 stars in one day. The reason is that it solves one problem with AI: diagrams." (original post)

The repository is a "skill" for use in Claude Code that draws 29 diagram types in nothing but HTML and SVG, with no JavaScript. At the time of reporting, it had 11,187 stars in total. (Checked directly through the GitHub API, 1 p.m. KST, 2026-08-13)

29 Templates Instead of "Mockup Boxes"

The types the repository offers include architecture, flowchart, sequence, state machine, ER and data model, timeline, swimlane, quadrant, and nested structure diagrams. The repo description states "no shadows, no generic output."

In practical terms, it is useful for developers who repeatedly need to draw diagrams for developer docs, architecture design, and PR reviews. If you install this skill in a coding agent such as Claude Code or Codex, you can get output in a consistent style every time you ask it to "draw a diagram."

A Repository That Keeps Getting Updated

The repository was first created on April 16, 2026, and is still actively maintained. It enforces SVG accessibility conventions (role="img", aria-labelledby, and so on) with a linter, and automatic update distribution through the native Codex and Claude Code marketplaces was recently merged. (Checked from the GitHub repository's issue and PR history)

2,000 Stars a Day: Not Reproduced

The "2,000 stars in a day" figure is an observation Miguel Ángel Durán mentioned in his own post. In this post, only the cumulative star count at the time of reporting (11,187) was directly checked, and the hourly growth itself could not be reproduced.

The repository is an existing project created in April 2026, not a new release. It is worth keeping in mind that what drew attention this time was its resurgence on X.

Frequently asked questions

What is the key point of “29 Templates Instead of "Mockup Boxes"”?
The types the repository offers include architecture, flowchart, sequence, state machine, ER and data model, timeline, swimlane, quadrant, and nested structure diagrams. The repo description states "no shadows, no generic output." In practical terms, it is useful for developers who repeatedly need to draw diagrams for developer docs, architecture design, and PR reviews. If you install this skill in a coding agent such as Claude Code or Codex, you can get output in a consistent style every time you ask it to "draw a diagram."
What is the key point of “A Repository That Keeps Getting Updated”?
The repository was first created on April 16, 2026, and is still actively maintained. It enforces SVG accessibility conventions ( role="img" , aria-labelledby , and so on) with a linter, and automatic update distribution through the native Codex and Claude Code marketplaces was recently merged. (Checked from the GitHub repository's issue and PR history)
What is the key point of “2,000 Stars a Day: Not Reproduced”?
The "2,000 stars in a day" figure is an observation Miguel Ángel Durán mentioned in his own post. In this post, only the cumulative star count at the time of reporting (11,187) was directly checked , and the hourly growth itself could not be reproduced. The repository is an existing project created in April 2026, not a new release. It is worth keeping in mind that what drew attention this time was its resurgence on X.

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