What is Vibe Coding?

Exploring the creative mindset behind fast, intuitive digital prototyping

You may have heard the phrase “vibe coding” circulating recently — a term that, at first, feels like internet slang. But dig a little deeper and you'll find it's a surprisingly useful concept for anyone working in digital product development.

What is Vibe Coding?

Vibe coding is a fluid, fast-paced approach to building digital interfaces, where you work instinctively rather than following a rigid plan. Instead of sticking closely to a spec or a full design system, you build based on feel, experimentation, and momentum — letting the code lead the direction as you shape ideas in the browser.

It's part creative flow, part prototype, part exploration. And it’s particularly helpful in the early stages of product development when ideas are still forming and refinement would slow you down.

Who Uses Vibe Coding?

While traditionally associated with developers, vibe coding is increasingly used by:

• Product Managers who want to test layout or user journey ideas before briefing them in
• Product Owners looking to validate backlog items or clarify stories through working examples
• UX Designers who have front-end knowledge and want to bring static wireframes to life
• Ecommerce Managers, particularly in lean teams, who might need to prototype quick changes for testing promotions, layouts, or messaging

Why Vibe Coding Works

From my own experience across product, UX, and ecommerce environments, vibe coding has become a powerful tool. I first became aware of this approach during my time at Drinkstuff, and have since explored it through personal projects like Ginger Afro and various client work. Sometimes the quickest route to a breakthrough idea is to just build it and see what sticks.

Vibe coding helps when:

• You’re blocked waiting for wireframes or design signoff
• You want to explore “what if” layouts without lengthy debate
• You’re iterating on something visual — like a pricing toggle, checkout layout, or mobile menu
• You need to demo ideas to stakeholders who struggle with static mocks

Vibe coding also complements modern design tools — though in my experience, Figma is still faster when it comes to iterating quickly and comparing visual ideas side by side on the same canvas. That said, vibe coding comes into its own when you want to see how something feels in the browser — interacting with real content, real screen sizes, and real behaviour. It helps teams assess spacing, responsiveness, and usability before investing heavily in visual polish.

How It Fits Into the Workflow

Vibe coding doesn’t replace formal UX or agile processes — but it can accelerate them. Think of it as a low-commitment sandbox. For Product Managers and Product Owners, it’s especially helpful for clarifying requirements, testing feasibility, or producing demos that align better with how users interact in the real world.

I’ve also used it to unblock solo developers — building small UI components that they could then refine and integrate.

Final Thoughts

Vibe coding is not a trend — it's a shift in how we think about early-stage digital creation. It empowers people in product, UX, and ecommerce to create, test, and iterate without friction.

If you’re a Product Manager, Product Owner, UX Designer, or Ecommerce Manager, vibe coding could be a practical way to bridge strategy and execution — giving form to your ideas before they even hit a backlog.

Curious how vibe coding could enhance your digital workflow or product team? Let’s connect.