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open-design-v0.22.0

nexu-io/open-designopen-design-v0.22.0Sep 8, 2026by github-actions[bot]

AI Summary

This release introduces OpenDesign Arena for model evaluation and focuses on improving the stability of runs, media handling, and the desktop application experience. It enhances error reporting and session management to ensure that conversational context and media assets survive failures or interruptions.

Key Highlights

  • Introduction of OpenDesign Arena for comparing design models and costs.
  • Runs now retain all evidence, including files and steering context, preventing data loss.
  • Enhanced error handling provides actionable next steps for failed runs.
  • Significant polish for the desktop app including macOS Home readiness and app-link handoff.
  • Real imagery support for named subjects like people, products, and places.

New Features

  • Codex sessions have a steadier home with improved streaming and tool work.
  • Standalone Terminal work has a full lifecycle (start, finish, cancel).
  • More transparent model choices with discoverable IDs and retired model explanations.
  • Real subject imagery generation for named entities.
  • Team projects remain visible after transient sync failures.

Full Release Notes

### 🌟 Codename: *Introducing OpenDesign Arena*

🔎 **`66 PRs` · `10 contributors` · `7 days`** — We evaluated over a dozen models using the OpenDesign Harness to compare design quality and cost. **DeepSeek V4.1 Flash achieved 98% of top-ranked GPT-6 Astra’s average score at just 1% of its average cost.** Explore [OpenDesign Arena](https://open-design.ai/llm-arena-for-design/) to find the right model for your design needs and budget.

## 🔥 Highlights

- 🧭 **Runs that keep their evidence.** Files, covers, references, produced output, steering, and recovery now travel with a conversation instead of disappearing into a vague finished state. (#7518) Thanks @lefarcen.
- 🛟 **Failures that explain what to do next.** ACP, model, permission, quota, and runtime problems preserve the useful cause, so a failed run is a decision point—not a dead end. (#6267, #7316, #7429, #7458, #7534, #7647) Thanks @helsome, @Siri-Ray.
- 🎬 **Media work that survives the real world.** Image and video tasks recover more reliably in packaged Open Design, and Team projects keep their own billing context while they do. (#7504, #7723, #7746) Thanks @alchemistklk, @lbjzz-hash.
- 🪟 **The desktop app feels installed, not fragile.** First-launch controls, macOS Home readiness, update placement, and app-link handoff now hold up where people actually use the product: the shipped app. (#7479, #7482, #7535, #7688, #7700) Thanks @lefarcen, @Siri-Ray, @alchemistklk.
- 🧩 **Previews keep their place.** HTML-rich designs, Deck covers, old thumbnail navigation, and edit handoffs retain the structure and state you were working with. (#7421, #7422, #7556, #7558, #7568, #7592, #7651) Thanks @lefarcen, @Siri-Ray.

> 📥 **Download:** Tag [`open-design-v0.22.0`](https://github.com/nexu-io/open-design/releases/tag/open-design-v0.22.0).

## ✨ Added

### 🧠 Agents, runtimes & sandbox

- 🧰 **Codex sessions have a steadier home.** Open Design can carry a Codex app-server conversation through streaming replies and tool work without making the result feel like a black box. (#7518) Thanks @lefarcen.
- 🧪 **Labs keeps experimentation understandable.** Design Harness has a clear settings home, persists its choice, and explains when a policy owns the decision. (#7445, #7514) Thanks @lefarcen.
- 🖼️ **Real subjects get real imagery.** Ask for a named person, product, artwork, event, or place and Open Design reaches for the real thing instead of a convincing impostor. (#7436)
- 🧑‍💻 **Standalone Terminal work has a real lifecycle.** Start, finish, cancel, and return without leaving a ghost session behind. (#7716, #7742) Thanks @PerishCode.

### 🔑 Models & media

- 🤖 **More honest model choices.** New model IDs are discoverable, retired models explain themselves, and AMR no longer promises unlimited access where limits apply. (#7401, #7544, #7627, #7686) Thanks @koeseo, @Siri-Ray, @lefarcen.
- 🔗 **Team projects remain visible after a bad sync.** A transient sync failure no longer hides work your team has already published. (#7781, #7785)

## 🐛 Fixed

### 🎨 Studio, editing & canvas

- 🗂️ **Open the project you meant to open.** Project entry no longer invents facts it cannot know, and artifact-upgrade prompts stay with the active project. (#7428, #7689, #7696) Thanks @lefarcen, @Siri-Ray.
- 💬 **A visible question can be answered.** Clarification forms keep the run alive long enough to receive the answer—and receive it once. (#7509, #7512)

### 🖥️ Desktop & setup

- ✅ **Onboarding checks the engine before asking you to continue.** Invalid runtime setup is caught early, with a path forward instead of a later mystery failure. (#7440, #7743)
- 🌐 **The app link returns to the app.** Packaged Open Design keeps its normal sign-in and invite handoff while development builds stop claiming the system link. (#7479) Thanks @lefarcen.

### 🌍 Interface & language

- 📣 **The right sunset notice speaks the right language.** Go Plan messaging now reaches its intended audience with the selected locale intact. (#7453, #7477) Thanks @nettee.

## 🙏 Thanks to everyone who shipped 0.22.0

@AmyShang-alt · @PerishCode · @Siri-Ray · @alchemistklk · @helsome · @koeseo · @lbjzz-hash · @lefarcen · @nettee · @simpleqt