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Design Mode stores all of its artifacts as files: Canvases live as .canvas files in your project (in the .kombai/canvas/ folder by default, or any folder you choose), and Design Systems live as .ds files in your user-wide Kombai library. Because Canvases are files in your project, you can collaborate on designs using the same tools and workflows you already use for code. To quickly access sharing options, click Share in the document actions bar at the top right of the Canvas to open the Collaborate on design modal. The modal features tabs (Entire Canvas, Design, and Design System), each with specific sharing instructions.

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Comments

Use comments to leave feedback, ask questions, or add notes directly to your designs. Click the icon in the Canvas bottom toolbar (or press C) to activate the comment tool, then click on a design or an empty area of the Canvas to place a comment. Type in Add a comment and press Enter to post it. Comments are saved inside the .canvas file, so they travel with the Canvas when you share it.

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Manage comments

While the comment tool is active, the Comments panel on the right lists every comment on the Canvas. Use Search to find a comment, and the filter menu to show All, Open, or Resolved comments.
  • Reply: Open a comment and type in Reply.
  • Resolve or reopen: Click the check icon on a comment to resolve it. To reopen a resolved comment, click the check icon again or choose Reopen from its ⋯ menu.
  • Edit or delete a message: Open the ⋯ menu on one of your messages and choose Edit or Delete.
  • Delete a thread: Choose Delete thread from the comment’s ⋯ menu.
Comments are useful for:
  • Leaving design feedback: Point out specific elements that need changes, suggest improvements, or approve sections.
  • Adding context for teammates: Explain design decisions or flag areas that need attention before code generation.
  • Personal notes: Bookmark parts of a design you want to revisit or iterate on later.

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Git as a collaboration system

Because every Canvas is a file on your disk, your existing Git workflow doubles as a design collaboration system. When you commit and push your .kombai/ folder, your entire team gets access to the same Canvases.
Design Systems are stored in your user-wide Kombai library (~/.kombai/design-systems/), not in the project, so they are not shared by committing the .kombai/ folder. See Sharing Design Systems below for how to share them.
  1. Create a branch for your design work, just like you would for a feature.
  2. Design on the Canvas as you go.
  3. Commit and push the .kombai/ folder changes (including .canvas files in .kombai/canvas/ and pasted images in .kombai/canvas/assets/), plus any .canvas files you keep in other folders.
  4. Open a pull request so your team can review the design files alongside any code changes.
  5. Merge to main once approved, making the designs available to everyone.
This keeps your design artifacts in sync with your codebase and gives you the full benefits of Git—branching, history, diffs, and code reviews—for your design work.

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Sharing individual artifacts

Since all Design Mode artifacts live as files on disk, you can share specific files directly with a teammate without going through a full Git workflow. This is especially useful for quick, informal collaboration.

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Sharing an entire Canvas

Via Git: Commit your .canvas file (by default in .kombai/canvas/) to your repository. Anyone on your team who pulls the repository will have access to the Canvas, including all designs stored within it. Manually:
  1. Locate your .canvas file (by default inside .kombai/canvas/).
  2. Send the .canvas file to your teammate through any channel (e.g., Slack, email, or a shared drive).
  3. Your teammate saves the file anywhere in their local project, for example under .kombai/canvas/.
  4. They can now open and use the shared Canvas in their Design Mode session.
Important: Sharing a Canvas does not include Design Systems. Design Systems are stored separately and must be shared using the steps in the Design Systems section below.

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Sharing individual designs

Designs live inside your Canvas. To share them, you need to share the Canvas they belong to:
  1. Share the entire Canvas: Follow the steps in the Sharing an entire Canvas section above.
  2. Share only select designs: Copy the specific designs to a new Canvas first. Then, share that new Canvas using the steps in the Sharing an entire Canvas section.

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Sharing Design Systems

Design Systems live in your user-wide Kombai library at ~/.kombai/design-systems/, so they can’t be shared by committing project files. Instead:
  1. Open the Design Systems page and switch to the My design systems tab.
  2. Click the menu on your design system and select Export it as a .ds file.
  3. Send the exported file to your teammate (e.g., Slack, email, or a shared drive).
  4. Have your teammate import the .ds file on their Design Systems page to start using it in Kombai.

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Sharing examples

  • Two designers collaborating on a page: One person designs the hero section and commits the .canvas file to a branch. The other person pulls the branch, opens the Canvas, adds the features section, and commits the updated file back.
  • Sharing a Design System across projects: Design Systems are shared across your projects automatically — the library at ~/.kombai/design-systems/ is user-wide, so a Design System you create is available in every project on your machine.
  • Sharing design direction: Your design system team creates a Design System and sends the .ds file to the team. Everyone saves it to their own library and uses it as a template for generating new designs.
This file-based approach ensures there’s no lock-in to a specific design tool or platform—your design assets are portable, versioned, and always accessible.