HTML is the new Markdown: How Anthropic engineers are building with Claude Code | Thariq Shihipar

Anthropic engineer Thariq Shihipar is advocating for HTML as a replacement for Markdown in AI agent planning and implementation workflows, arguing that richer visual formats improve human engagement and product outcomes. In a demonstration at Anthropic’s Code with Claude event in San Francisco, Shihipar showed how HTML artifacts can create interactive plans, throwaway micro-UIs, and living design systems that travel with a codebase. The approach prioritizes using 99% of AI-generated tokens for planning and communication rather than production code, with the philosophy that “complexity has to earn its keep.”

Thariq Shihipar is an engineer at Anthropic working on the Claude Code team. He’s spent the past several months experimenting with HTML as a replacement for Markdown in planning and implementation workflows, discovering that richer visual formats lead to better human engagement—and, ultimately, better products. In this episode, filmed at Anthropic’s Code with Claude event in San Francisco, Thariq demonstrates how to use HTML artifacts to create interactive plans, build throwaway UIs for specific problems, and maintain living design systems that travel with your codebase. Listen or watch on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts What you’ll learn: Why HTML has replaced Markdown as the ideal format for AI agent communication and planning How to brainstorm in HTML to get visual mockups and interactive demos instead of text lists The technique for building throwaway micro-UIs to edit specific parts of your plan How to create a living design system in HTML that lives in your repo and travels with every project Why “complexity has to earn its keep” and how HTML helps you stay in the loop without over-constraining Claude The prompting technique that gives Claude flexibility while ensuring that you get what you need Why 99% of your AI-generated tokens should go to planning, interfaces, and communication—not production code Brought to you by: Celigo —Intelligent automation built for AI Persona —Trusted identity verification for any use case In this episode, we cover: 00:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0 Introduction 02:39 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=159s HTML as the new Markdown 04:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=270s The compute allocator mindset 05:51 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=351s How HTML makes specs more engaging 06:48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=408s Demo: Brainstorming in HTML with Claude Code 09:24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=564s From brainstorm to full implementation plan 11:20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=680s Prompting philosophy: Trust Claude but give it constraints 13:50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=830s The future of PRDs and tech specs 18:16 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=1096s Making HTML specs editable 20:23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=1223s The abundance mindset 24:17 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=1457s Just-in-time documentation and throwaway software 25:39 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=1539s Using plans as artifacts for implementation 26:39 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=1599s Demo: Living design systems in HTML 30:16 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=1816s Adding comments and annotations to HTML plans 31:42 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=1902s Recap: The HTML workflow 32:21 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrpm7E80wQ0&t=1941s Lightning round and final thoughts Tools referenced: • Claude Code: https://claude.ai/code https://claude.ai/code • Claude Design: https://claude.ai/design https://claude.ai/design • AWS: https://aws.amazon.com/ https://aws.amazon.com/ • Figma: https://www.figma.com/ https://www.figma.com/ • GitHub: https://github.com/ https://github.com/ Other references: • Anthropic Code with Claude event: https://claude.com/code-with-claude https://claude.com/code-with-claude • SpaceX partnership announcement: https://www.anthropic.com/news/higher-limits-spacex https://www.anthropic.com/news/higher-limits-spacex • Jevons paradox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons paradox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons paradox Where to find Thariq Shihipar: Website: https://www.thariq.io/ https://www.thariq.io/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thariqshihipar/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/thariqshihipar/ GitHub: https://github.com/ThariqS https://github.com/ThariqS Where to find Claire Vo: ChatPRD: https://www.chatprd.ai/ https://www.chatprd.ai/ Website: https://clairevo.com/ https://clairevo.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairevo/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairevo/ Production and marketing by https://penname.co/ https://penname.co/ . For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email email protected /cdn-cgi/l/email-protection .