Qt Group has announced the introduction of a new design tool named "Clate," dedicated exclusively to user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design in embedded systems and devices. The company has already begun offering the tool as an early preview version, with the full commercial release of the product slated for 2027.
The tool is designed to be independent of web- or cloud-based design tools, providing an AI-supported design environment without the need to write programming code. Through this step, the company aims to empower designers to take the lead in designing user interfaces and experiences comprehensively, even amidst the constraints imposed by various hardware devices.
Challenges Facing Embedded System UI Design
The company explained that the widespread adoption of smartphones has raised user expectations regarding interface smoothness, which differs radically from the requirements of embedded devices that often have limited resources and are designed for specific purposes. Traditional web- or cloud-based design tools usually face difficulties in achieving adequate performance because they do not account for the characteristics of the target hardware.
Furthermore, the interdependence between programming work and code modifications has posed a burden on designers lacking a deep programming background, often leading to discrepancies between design and development teams and forcing both sides to make repeated adjustments that delay production cycles.
Key Features of the New Clate Tool
Clate includes four core functions designed specifically to overcome the limitations of embedded systems:
- Interactive Artificial Intelligence: Enables modifications to display interfaces using voice commands, while utilizing the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect the tool to external design tools or other systems.
- Hardware-Aware Interface Design: Designers can adjust data variables, test animations, and set up interactions, with the ability to track performance indicators such as framerates and memory usage in real time.
- No-Code Workspace: Incorporates tools for asset management, component management, and context-based property control features.
- QML Code Export: The tool relies on the "QML" programming language used in the company's UI development framework "Qt," allowing the export of ready-to-implement code that enables frontend developers to accelerate the development cycle based on design outputs.
What Changes Practically?
With the launch of the first preview version, users will have access to no-code workspace features, the AI assistant, direct QML code export functions, and performance monitoring tools. The company emphasizes that this ecosystem aims to bridge the operational gap between design and engineering teams in the embedded devices and smart vehicles sector, with features expected to expand gradually leading up to the full commercial launch.