Open Design Motion is the free, open-source motion design feature inside Open Design, and this page shows you how to set it up and make your first video in seven steps.
It shipped as Open Design v0.25.0 on 15 October 2026, and the team behind it gave that release the codename "OpenDesign Motion".
The release notes call it "The Open-Source Alternative to Claude Motion", which tells you exactly what job it is trying to do.
You type an idea, an AI agent writes the animation as code, and you get editable source files plus an MP4 you can post.
I plugged it into my own Agent OS, gave it one prompt, and it built a paper-cutout style trailer in the background while I did other work.
The project lives on GitHub at nexu-io/open-design, it uses the Apache-2.0 licence, and the tool itself costs nothing.
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What Open Design Motion Is, In Plain English
Open Design is what its makers call "the 1st collaborative AI design agent workspace", and it is local-first and open source.
Motion is the part of it that makes videos and animations.
The clever bit is that it never draws a single frame by hand.
Your AI agent writes the animation as HTML, CSS and GSAP code, and a framework called HyperFrames renders that code into an MP4.
HyperFrames is HeyGen's open-source, agent-native video framework, and Open Design builds it in as a first-class part of the app.
That matters for you as an operator, because code is editable, repeatable and cheap to change.
If you don't like a colour, a line of text or the pacing, you ask the agent to change it instead of starting again.
Here are the facts I checked on the official repo and release notes before writing this.
| Fact | What the official sources say |
|---|---|
| Name | Open Design, with the motion release codenamed "OpenDesign Motion". |
| Release | Open Design v0.25.0 was published on 15 October 2026. |
| Repo | The code lives at github.com/nexu-io/open-design. |
| Licence | The project uses the Apache-2.0 licence. |
| Popularity | The repo had about 102,000 GitHub stars and more than 11,700 forks when I checked on 18 October 2026. |
| Release size | The release notes list 53 PRs from 16 contributors over 21 days. |
| Desktop apps | Native apps exist for macOS on Apple Silicon and Intel, and for Windows x64. |
| Video engine | HyperFrames renders the agent's HTML into a deterministic MP4 through headless Chrome and FFmpeg. |
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Step 1: Install Open Design The Official Way
I'm only going to give you the install routes the README itself lists, because made-up install commands waste your afternoon.
The README recommends the desktop app and calls it the fastest way to use OpenDesign, with no Node, no pnpm and no clone needed.
- macOS users on Apple Silicon or Intel download it from open-design.ai or from GitHub Releases.
- Windows x64 users download it from the same two places.
- Linux users don't get a prebuilt app in the official releases yet, so the README tells them to run OpenDesign from source.
After install, the README says the app auto-detects every coding-agent CLI on your PATH and loads its skills, templates and design systems.
If you prefer to run it from source, these are the README's exact commands.
git clone https://github.com/nexu-io/open-design.git
cd open-design
corepack enable && pnpm install
pnpm tools-dev run web
The README says to open the URL that tools-dev prints, and it lists Node ~24 and pnpm 10.33.x as the requirements.
If you want it in Docker instead, this is the README's Docker route.
git clone https://github.com/nexu-io/open-design.git
cd open-design/deploy
cp .env.example .env
echo "OD_API_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)" >> .env
docker compose up -d
# open http://127.0.0.1:7456
The README explains that if the browser asks for credentials, the username is open-design and the password is the OD_API_TOKEN value from deploy/.env.
Step 2: Connect Your Agent Or A Free Model
This is the step most people overthink.
Open Design doesn't ship its own agent, and the README says the agents already on your PATH are the design engine.
When I opened it, it scanned the agents and CLIs I already had installed, so options like OpenCode and Hermes Agent were sitting there ready to pick.
You can switch between agents and CLIs such as Hermes Agent, Kimi CLI and Antigravity, and there is a local mode too.
You do not need an expensive model like Opus 5.5 for this.
Inside OpenCode I showed free brains such as LongCat, MiMo v2.6, Nemotron 3.5 Super, GLM-5.3 Flash and DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, which were all free in OpenCode when I recorded the video.
I often use those same free models as the brain for Hermes, so it was natural to reuse them here.
Free model offers change, so check what OpenCode lists on the day you set this up.
If you run a business and want a second pair of eyes on where AI content fits your SEO, you can get a free SEO strategy session with my team.
If you'd rather use Open Design from inside a coding agent with no UI at all, the README gives this one-line install.
od mcp install <agent>
The README lists agents such as claude, codex, cursor, copilot, openclaw, antigravity, hermes, kimi and opencode for that command.
One trap is worth knowing on a Mac.
The README warns that your shell may resolve od to Apple's built-in /usr/bin/od octal-dump tool, so desktop users should copy the snippet from Settings → MCP server instead.
There is also a BYOK proxy for people with no CLI installed, where you paste a base URL, an API key and a model name.
Step 3: Open Motion Design From Home
Once the app is running, go to Home and choose Motion Design.
The release notes say you can open Motion Design from either Home or Community.
The same Home screen also gives you slide decks, documents, images, websites, HyperFrames and live artifacts, which are live dashboards you can share.
For this walkthrough, stay on Motion Design.
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Step 4: Pick A Template Or One Of The Five Motion Examples
The release ships five bundled motion examples to start from.
| Example | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Motion Future | A starting point you can edit, with its own bundled scripts, fonts, audio and preview. |
| Product Promo | A promo-style starting point you can rework for your own product. |
| Showreel | A showreel-style example you can restyle with your own content. |
| UI Morph | An example built around interface animation. |
| Visual Lesson | An example built for explaining an idea visually. |
The release notes say each example's bundled scripts, fonts, audio and previews support editing straight from the example.
You can also pull in motion skills from the @ picker in the composer.
When I tested it, I picked a template, wrote a prompt, then set the BPM and the style before sending it.
Step 5: Write One Clear Prompt And Let It Build
My first test was a single prompt asking for a 20-second paper cutout story that worked as a trailer for Open Design.
It built the whole motion design in the background, and I could preview it, open the code view, export it and share it.
My second test was a 20-second high-energy reel titled "The AI Profit Boardroom community is the best to learn AI automation".
From what I saw, the results were genuinely better than what my normal human team can do, and that's my honest opinion from my own tests.
You can run several projects at once, because they all build in the background.
Your recent projects show up with previews, and in my setup everything landed in my Agent OS workspace.
Here's the prompt shape I'd copy for your first run.
- Say how long the video should be, such as 20 seconds.
- Say the style, such as paper cutout, high energy or clean product promo.
- Give the title or the one line of text that must appear.
- Say who it is for, such as a trailer for your brand or a reel for Instagram.
- Set the BPM and the style options before you hit send.
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Step 6: Edit, Iterate And Rebrand
The first render is a draft, not the finished product.
You can feed it a previous example and ask it to turn that into a motion design.
You can give it your brand colours and ask it to restyle the whole video.
Because everything is code, those changes are quick and you don't lose the parts you already liked.
The release notes also say sound stops when you leave the active preview, which saves you a few surprises when you hop between projects.
Step 7: Export The MP4 And Post It
When you ask for a video, Open Design gives you editable source files and an MP4.
Interactive animations stay as runnable HTML instead, so you can drop them onto a page.
The release notes say video export checks that the resulting MP4 can actually play, and a failed export keeps the editable source available.
I then post my videos automatically with Blotato.
Blotato's analytics show me which platforms perform best, so I know where to put more effort next time.
My full loop is simple: I write the script, the agent makes the motion design, and Blotato posts it.
If you want to see how my team turns content like this into rankings, grab a free one-to-one strategy session and we'll look at your site, your competitors and the keywords you're closest to winning.
Open Design Motion vs Claude Motion
Claude Motion is the closest comparison, and the Open Design team openly bills this release as its open-source alternative.
The core idea is similar in both, because you describe a video and AI builds it.
I prefer Open Design, because the output looks more interesting and clean to me, and it is easier to keep all my motion designs organised in one place.
The other big difference is that Open Design is open source, so you choose the agent, the model and where it runs.
| Question | Open Design Motion |
|---|---|
| Who makes it? | The open-source Open Design project at nexu-io/open-design makes it. |
| What does it cost? | The tool is free and open source, and an optional paid Design Plan exists. |
| Which brain does it use? | It uses whichever agent or model you connect, including free ones. |
| What do you get back? | You get editable source files and an MP4, or runnable HTML for interactive animations. |
| Where does it run? | It runs as a desktop app, from source, in Docker or inside your coding agent. |
Limits And Gotchas To Know Before You Start
Linux has no prebuilt desktop app in the official releases yet, so Linux users have to run it from source.
The od command can clash with Apple's built-in tool on a Mac, so use the Settings → MCP server snippet.
Your output quality depends on the model you connect, so try a couple of free models before you judge the tool.
Free model offers inside OpenCode can change at any time, so treat them as a bonus rather than a promise.
The README says product analytics and session replay are consent-gated, while scrubbed safety and reliability telemetry is always on.
There is an optional paid Design Plan with hosted models, and you can ignore it if your own agents already work.
My "better than my team" line is my opinion from my own tests, so run your own prompts before you swap any part of your workflow.
If you want an agent that runs on a schedule while Open Design handles the visuals, my Hermes Agent v0.22 setup walkthrough is the place to start.
If you like free, open-source agent tools like this one, my OpenWork AI walkthrough is worth a read too.
If you would rather have my team map out how your videos and pages can win in Google and AI search, book a free SEO strategy session and we will build the plan with you.
🔥 Want to build motion designs like this every week? The AI Profit Boardroom has the Agent OS, design and video agent training, and four weekly coaching calls where you can ask me about your setup. → Join the AI Profit Boardroom
What I'd Make First With Open Design Motion
I'd start with a 20-second trailer for your own brand, because it's short and you'll know straight away if the style fits.
Next, I'd turn your best blog post or script into a short reel, then restyle it with your brand colours.
After that, I'd build one product promo from the Product Promo example and post it everywhere through Blotato.
Once you know which platform performs best, you can double down on that one.
If you're publishing these videos to win search traffic, my post on GEO examples shows how I get my business named inside Google's AI answers.
Related Reading
- My Hermes Agent v0.22 setup walkthrough shows you how to update Hermes and switch on its new features.
- My OpenWork AI walkthrough covers another free, open-source agent tool you can run yourself.
- My GEO examples post shows how I get named in Google AI Overviews.
Also On Our Network
- 🌐 Seven real ways a business can use Open Design Motion
- 🌐 Every Open Design Motion feature, scored with a verdict
- 🌐 The Open Design Motion quick start for an Agent OS
- 🌐 Which free models should drive Open Design Motion, with real scores
FAQ: Open Design Motion
What is Open Design Motion?
Open Design Motion is the motion design feature of Open Design, the free and open-source AI design workspace at github.com/nexu-io/open-design.
It arrived in release v0.25.0 on 15 October 2026, codenamed OpenDesign Motion.
It turns a text prompt into editable animation source files and an MP4.
Is Open Design Motion free?
Yes, Open Design is free and open source under the Apache-2.0 licence.
You can run it with coding agents you already have or with your own API key.
There is also an optional paid Design Plan with hosted models, but you don't need it to use the tool.
How do I install Open Design Motion?
The README recommends the desktop app for macOS and Windows, downloaded from open-design.ai or GitHub Releases.
Linux users currently run it from source, and there are also Docker and od mcp install routes.
Do I need Claude Opus to use Open Design Motion?
No, because Open Design works with whichever agent or model you connect.
I showed free models inside OpenCode, such as LongCat, MiMo v2.6, Nemotron 3.5 Super, GLM-5.3 Flash and DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, which were free there when I recorded.
What does Open Design Motion export?
When you ask for a video, you get editable source files and an MP4.
Interactive animations stay as runnable HTML, and a failed export keeps the editable source available.
If you'd like my team to look at how your videos and pages can win in Google and AI search, book your free SEO strategy session here.
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About Julian
I'm Julian Goldie, an SEO entrepreneur, author and founder of the AI Profit Boardroom, which has 3,400+ members.
I help business owners scale with AI agents, automation and SEO.
- I've built a 7-figure SEO and link-building agency, Goldie Agency, with 70+ people in Bangkok.
- I've grown a YouTube channel to 400,000+ subscribers.
- I wrote the book "Link Building Mastery", which covers nine link building strategies.
- I run GoldieBench, where I score AI models on real one-shot builds.
→ Get my best AI training inside the AI Profit Boardroom
Install it, connect a free model, pick one of the five examples and ship your first 20-second video, and you'll see what Open Design Motion can do.
