Kiro is an AI-powered IDE from AWS that uses spec-driven development to guide you from requirements through design and task planning before generating code. Instead of relying on one-off prompts, Kiro structures work as a series of requirements, design decisions, and implementation tasks—creating a shared artifact that designers and engineers can both understand.
In this session, we’ll explore how that workflow maps to the way design already operates: user stories, flows, constraints, and UX goals. You’ll see how Kiro’s specs and planning tools can become a bridge between “here’s the Figma file” and “here’s the implementation plan,” making it easier to collaborate, review tradeoffs, and keep the product experience coherent as it ships.
Vibe coding for exploration
How to use Kiro for quick spikes, interaction experiments, or UI variations—helping designers and engineers explore options quickly without committing to a full build.
Spec-driven development for real features
How Kiro’s spec model (requirements → design → tasks) mirrors product and UX thinking. You’ll learn how to write or co-author specs that express UX scenarios, edge cases, and acceptance criteria in a way Kiro and your engineering partners can execute against, especially for multi-screen, multi-file features.
Steering Kiro with your product language and patterns
How to “teach” Kiro about your product, IA, and UI standards so it generates code and plans that reflect your design system instead of generic UI. We’ll discuss what to capture in specs, how to reuse examples, and how to review Kiro’s plans with a UX lens before moving to implementation.
Agent hooks for product workflows
How Kiro’s agents can automate repeatable steps in your workflow—like updating documentation, wiring boilerplate, or checking criteria—so design and engineering conversations stay focused on experience quality.
Extending Kiro with MCP integrations
How MCP-based integrations let Kiro connect to other tools and data, opening up possibilities for more context-aware workflows across your stack.
You’ll see an end-to-end example of a feature going from idea to spec to implementation, with emphasis on where designers shape the requirements, design constraints, and feedback cycles. The goal is to demystify AI-driven development for non-engineers and show how it can actually strengthen UX quality when used with the right structure.
No deep engineering background is required; curiosity about how design decisions meet implementation is enough. Basic familiarity with developer tools or reading UI code will help but isn’t mandatory.
Please arrive with the following already set up on your laptop. Doing this in advance means you can spend the workshop building, not installing.
1. Install Kiro
2. Sign in
Kiro offers a few authentication options — pick whichever is easiest:
3. Watch the Kiro overview (optional but recommended)
If Kiro is new to you, this short overview is a great primer and will help the workshop click faster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOqLp1adGO4
4. Workshop dependencies
If you plan to follow along with the workshop materials, please also install:
You don't need to be a developer to get a lot out of this. You just need to be willing to think out loud, write clearly, and try things. That's the designer's superpower — and it turns out it's exactly what AI coding agents need.
See you at UM.
The event will be hosted in the Koenigsberg & Nadal Interactive Media Center at University of Miami’s School of Communication Wolfson Building located at 5100 Brunson Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146.
You can park in the Red Lot. Parking is paid via PayByPhone or a Pay Station at the lot. Once parked you can walk toward the School of Communication courtyard; the entrance will be through the double doors to your left.
Come grab snacks, drink and swag! Whether you are a seasoned designer or a curious novice, this event is a fantastic opportunity to learn new techniques, meet fellow creatives, and expand your skills. Space is limited, so RSVP now and secure your spot in this exciting workshop. Let's create some vibes together!
Stephen Siegert is a Senior Developer Advocate at AWS based in Miami who enjoys bridging developers and product teams. He has worked across developer advocacy, solutions architecture, and product leadership, with a passion for full-stack application development and intuitive user experiences. When he’s not working on developer tools, he’s usually building browser extensions or exploring new side projects.
As human communication increasingly flows through computational systems, the University of Miami's Department of Interactive Media leads the way in shaping how society and technology evolve together. Our work fuses design, storytelling, AI, and embodied sensing to create interactive experiences that respond to human and environmental signals, while also critically examining their impact. This focus ensures our graduates emerge as both inventive creators and thoughtful researchers. We envision a future where creativity is amplified, communities are empowered, and human–computer interactions are guided by ethics, intuition, and inspiration.
Website - https://com.miami.edu/department-of-interactive-media/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/uminteractive/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/umiami-department-of-interactive-media/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/UMSoC/
AWS
Senior Developer Advocate
May 21 – 22, 2026
11:00 PM – 1:00 AM (UTC)
| 10:30 PM | Open doors - check-in |
| 11:00 PM | Event starts |
| 12:15 AM | Networking |
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