Chat, CLI, Design — AI Changes with Where It Sits
A snapshot of the tools I use as of July 2026. The same AI plays a different role depending on where it sits — chat, CLI, or design. The actual steps of shipping one Chrome extension, and the decisions that stay with a person.
As I write this in July 2026, I build small software mainly with ChatGPT and Claude Code.
ChatGPT is where I sort things out — what to build, rough specifications, wording, screen layouts.
The actual development happens in Claude Code, running Fable 5. I read diffs and code in Visual Studio Code, and keep the history on GitHub.
Images for the Chrome Web Store listings are made with Claude Design, then adjusted in Canva when needed. This website is served through Cloudflare.
No single AI or app covers the whole job.
Shipping one Chrome extension
Here is what the flow looks like right now when I publish one extension:
- Notice a small inconvenience in daily life
- Sort out the purpose and features with ChatGPT
- Decide what not to build, and where the safety boundaries are
- Read the existing code and implement changes with Claude Code
- Review diffs and code in Visual Studio Code
- Try the extension in the browser myself
- Record the history on GitHub
- Polish descriptions and store copy with ChatGPT
- Create listing images with Claude Design
- Adjust sizes and layout in Canva
- Submit to the Chrome Web Store
- Read the review result — and go back to an earlier step
What stays with a person
Some parts are not delegated to AI.
- What counts as a problem worth solving
- How far the product's responsibility extends
- Whether permissions and data handling are appropriate
- Whether real users could be misled
- Whether the changed code is actually correct
- Whether it is ready to release
- How to read the review result
Even as AI takes on more of the work, drawing the lines of responsibility remains a human job.
A place to sort out thoughts. A place to change code. A place to check the changes. A place to keep the history. A place to make images. A place to publish.
I move between them, and small tools take shape.