🎨 Ensemble MCP

Give your AI agent design taste.

What is this?

Ensemble MCP is a Model Context Protocol server that gives AI agents access to professional design tools. Generate color palettes, pair typography, create shadow systems, and export complete design tokens - all through natural conversation.

10 tools. One API. Infinite possibilities.

Tool	What it does	Its main argument
`harmony_generate_palette`	A full color system from one brand color	`color_scheme`
`duet_pair_fonts`	Heading, body and mono fonts with a type scale	`type_style`
`tempo_generate_scale`	A spacing system tuned to the type	`density`
`chord_generate_shadows`	Elevation shadows tinted by the palette	`shadow_intensity`
`cadence_generate_grid`	Responsive grid: breakpoints, columns, gutters	`density`
`riff_generate_motion`	Durations, easing curves and transition presets	`animation_style`
`bridge_generate_theme`	A complete dark mode from the light system	`color`
`pitch_audit_contrast`	Which palette pairs pass WCAG, and what to fix	`color`
`compose_export`	The whole system as CSS, JSON, Tailwind or SCSS	`formats`
`a11y_validate`	Check one color pair for accessibility (FREE, no key needed)	`foreground`, `background`

Every builder takes a brand color and an optional preferences object, so tools called separately agree with each other. Results are deterministic: the same color and preferences always give the same system.

------|--------------| | harmony_generate_palette | Generate harmonious color palettes from a single color | | duet_pair_fonts | Pair heading and body fonts that complement each other | | tempo_generate_scale | Create type scales and spacing systems | | chord_generate_shadows | Generate 5-level shadow elevation systems | | bridge_generate_theme | Auto-generate dark mode from light theme colors | | cadence_set_grid | Configure CSS Grid layouts with presets | | pitch_create_gradient | Create linear, radial, and conic gradients | | riff_set_easing | Set cubic-bezier easing curves | | compose_export | Export complete design system (CSS, Tailwind, SCSS, JSON) | | a11y_validate | Check color contrast accessibility (FREE, no key needed) |

Quick Start

Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ensemble": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ENSEMBLE_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor / Cline

json

{
  "ensemble": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp"],
    "env": {
      "ENSEMBLE_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
    }
  }
}

Manual Installation

bash

npm install -g @hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp
ensemble-mcp

Example Prompts

Once installed, try these with your AI:

"Generate a triadic color palette from #6366F1"

"Give me a classical font pairing and an airy spacing system to go with it"

"Check if #FFFFFF text on #6366F1 background is accessible"

"Build a design system from #0F766E with dramatic shadows and export it as Tailwind config"

"Audit the contrast of the palette you just made and tell me what fails"

API Key

The builders call the Ensemble API, which needs a Pro key ($4.99/month, or $39/year).

Free tool: a11y_validate - accessibility validation with no API key required.

Get your API key →

Design Philosophy

Ensemble tools are built on these principles:

One color in, design system out - Start with a single value, get a complete system
Cross-tool sync - Colors flow to typography, typography informs spacing
Export everywhere - CSS, Tailwind, SCSS, JSON
Accessibility first - WCAG 2.1 + APCA checking built in

Ensemble

What it does

What it costs