Pick your operating system, then the AI tool you're using. The rest of this guide will show you exactly what to install and how to bring AI into your browser for that combination. The concepts are the same across all of them.
- 1
Download the Claude desktop app
Go to claude.ai/download and click the Mac download button. Once the
.dmgfile finishes downloading, open it, drag Claude into your Applications folder, and launch it from there. - 2
Sign in with your Anthropic account
When the app opens, click Sign in and use your Anthropic account credentials. If you don't have an account yet, click Create account or go to claude.ai to register first.
- 3
Confirm you have a paid plan
You need Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise to access all features used in this program. Claude Pro is $20/mo. To check your plan or upgrade, go to claude.ai/upgrade.
- 4
Open Chat and Cowork
At the top of the app you'll see tabs for Chat and Cowork. Click into Cowork and send a quick test message to confirm it's working. If you see a response, you're all set.
Cowork tab not showing? Confirm you're on a paid plan, make sure the Claude desktop app is updated to the latest version, then sign out and sign back in. - 5
Use a Chromium browser
The Claude in Chrome extension (next step) works in any Chromium-based browser. If you already use one of these, you're set:
- Google Chrome at google.com/chrome (most common)
- Microsoft Edge at microsoft.com/edge
- Brave at brave.com (privacy-focused, blocks ads)
- Opera at opera.com
- Vivaldi at vivaldi.com
- 6
Install the Claude in Chrome extension (optional, ~2 min)
This lets Claude see and act on whatever's open in your browser. We use it in Session 1, Build 2 to extract design DNA from an inspiration website. You can also do this together during the live session.
- Open the Claude extension in the Chrome Web Store.
- Click Add to Chrome, then Add extension. Click the puzzle piece icon in your toolbar and pin Claude so it stays visible.
- Click the Claude icon and sign in with the same login you use for claude.ai.
Full help doc: /ai-builder/docs/claude-chrome/.
Extension installed but does nothing? Click the Claude icon on the page you're working in — the first time on a new site, you need to grant it per-site permission before it can see or act on the page.
Come get help before the first session at pre-course office hours. Sign up here.
- 1
Open Terminal
Press Cmd + Space, type Terminal, and hit Enter. A window will open with a blinking cursor — that's where you'll type commands.
Never used a terminal before? A terminal is just a text-based way to give your computer instructions. You type something, press Enter, and it runs. That's all you need. - 2
Install Claude terminal
Click inside the Terminal window, paste the command below, and press Enter:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bashWait about 30 seconds. When it's done, you'll see a message that says "Installation complete!"
- 3
Confirm you have a paid plan
Claude terminal requires Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise — the free Claude.ai plan does not include access. If your organization set this up for you, you're likely already covered. To verify or upgrade, go to claude.ai/upgrade.
- 4
Sign in
Type the following and press Enter:
claudeYou'll see an ASCII art welcome screen — that's normal. After a moment, one of two things will happen:
- A browser window opens automatically. Sign in with your Anthropic account and you're done — return to Terminal.
- No browser opens. You'll see a long URL on screen and a line that says "Browser didn't open? Use the url below to sign in". Copy that entire URL, paste it into your browser, and sign in there. If Terminal then shows "Paste code here if prompted >", copy the code from the browser page and paste it back into Terminal, then press Enter.
Either way, once you're signed in you'll see a
>prompt in Terminal — that means Claude is ready. - 5
Confirm it's working (optional)
Type this and press Enter:
claude --versionYou should see a version number like
2.x.x. If something looks wrong, runclaude doctor— it diagnoses and explains most common issues.
Come get help before the first session at pre-course office hours. Sign up here.
- 1
Download the ChatGPT desktop app
Codex now lives inside the unified ChatGPT desktop app (Chat, Work, and Codex in one app). Go to chatgpt.com/download, click the Mac download button, and run the installer once it downloads. After installing and signing in, use the mode switcher in the top-left corner of the app and choose Codex.
Already had the old ChatGPT app? After updating you may see two apps: ChatGPT (the new unified app, which includes Codex) and ChatGPT Classic (the old app, no Codex). Use the new ChatGPT app for this course, not Classic.
- 2
Sign in with your OpenAI account
Open Codex and sign in with your OpenAI credentials. If you don't have an account, create one at chatgpt.com before launching.
- 3
Confirm you have a paid plan
Codex requires a ChatGPT Plus or Pro plan ($20/mo and up). To check or upgrade your plan, go to chatgpt.com/upgrade.
- 4
Bring ChatGPT into your browser
Codex's built-in web access covers this for most students — useful for things like extracting design DNA from an inspiration website in Session 1, Build 2.
Use Codex's built-in web access. Codex can fetch URLs and browse the web directly from the desktop app. Just paste a link or ask it to "look up X online" and it will surf the web for you. No browser extension or separate app required.
- 5
Test your setup (optional)
Make sure you're in Codex mode (top-left switcher), then start a new task and send this prompt:
What model are you running on? I'm on a ChatGPT Plus/Pro plan.If the response confirms a current OpenAI model and your plan, you're all set.
Come get help before the first session at pre-course office hours. Sign up here.
- 1
Open Gemini in your browser (or download the Mac app)
Head to gemini.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Gemini runs entirely in the browser, so no download is required. If you'd prefer a native Mac app, you can also download Gemini from gemini.google.com/download.
- 2
Subscribe to Google AI Pro
A Google AI Pro plan ($19.99/mo) is required for full access to the models and features used in this program. Upgrade at one.google.com/about/google-ai-plans.
- 3
Use Chrome so Gemini is built into your browser
Chrome has Gemini integrated natively. Anywhere you browse, you can summon Gemini to help with the current page. If you don't already have Chrome, download it at google.com/chrome. Sign in with the same Google account you use for Gemini.
- 4
Test your setup (optional)
Open a new chat at gemini.google.com and send this message:
What Gemini model are you currently running on? I'm on Google AI Pro.If the response names a Gemini 2.x model, your plan is active and your setup is working.
Come get help before the first session at pre-course office hours. Sign up here.
- 1
Open Copilot in your browser
Head to copilot.microsoft.com and sign in with your Microsoft account. Copilot runs entirely in the browser on Mac. There's no native desktop app for macOS, so the browser is the way you'll use it.
- 2
Confirm you have a paid plan
Microsoft has folded the old standalone Copilot Pro plan into Microsoft 365 Premium (about $20/mo). You need Premium, or a Microsoft 365 Personal/Family plan that includes Copilot, for full access to the models and features used in this program. See current plans at microsoft.com/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing/individuals.
- 3
Download Microsoft Edge for native Copilot in your browser
Edge has Copilot built into the sidebar, so you can chat with it next to any page you're reading. Download Edge for Mac at microsoft.com/edge, sign in with the same Microsoft account, and click the Copilot icon in the top right to open the sidebar.
- 4
Test your setup (optional)
Open Copilot at copilot.microsoft.com and send this prompt:
What model are you running on? I'm on a Copilot Pro plan.If the response confirms a current GPT model and your plan, you're all set.
Come get help before the first session at pre-course office hours. Sign up here.
- 1
Download the Claude desktop app
Go to claude.ai/download and click the Windows download button. Once the
.exeinstaller finishes downloading, double-click it and follow the prompts to complete installation. - 2
Sign in with your Anthropic account
When the app opens, click Sign in and enter your Anthropic account credentials. If you don't have an account yet, click Create account or go to claude.ai to register first.
- 3
Confirm you have a paid plan
You need Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise to access all features used in this program. Claude Pro is $20/mo. To check your plan or upgrade, go to claude.ai/upgrade.
- 4
Enable Cowork on Windows
On Windows, Cowork requires a system feature to be turned on before it will appear in the app. Follow the steps below. It takes about 2 minutes and requires a restart.
🪟 Enable Virtual Machine Platform (required for Cowork)
- 1 Press the Windows key or click the search bar in your taskbar. Type "Turn Windows features on or off" and click on it when it appears in the results.
- 2 A dialog will open with a list of Windows features. Scroll through the list and check the box next to Virtual Machine Platform.
- 3 Click OK. Windows will download and apply the necessary changes. This may take a minute.
- 4 When prompted, click Restart now. Your computer will restart to complete the installation.
- 5 Once your computer restarts, open the Claude desktop app again. You should now see the Cowork option in the top-left corner of the app.
- 5
Open Chat and Cowork
At the top of the app you'll see tabs for Chat and Cowork. Click into Cowork and send a quick test message to confirm it's working. If you see a response, you're all set.
Cowork tab not showing? Confirm you're on a paid plan, make sure the Claude desktop app is updated to the latest version, then sign out and sign back in. Still stuck? See eperm-error-cowork-windows. - 6
Use a Chromium browser
The Claude in Chrome extension (next step) works in any Chromium-based browser. If you already use one of these, you're set:
- Microsoft Edge (already on your machine) at microsoft.com/edge
- Google Chrome at google.com/chrome (most common)
- Brave at brave.com (privacy-focused, blocks ads)
- Opera at opera.com
- Vivaldi at vivaldi.com
- 7
Install the Claude in Chrome extension (optional, ~2 min)
This lets Claude see and act on whatever's open in your browser. We use it in Session 1, Build 2 to extract design DNA from an inspiration website. You can also do this together during the live session.
- Open the Claude extension in the Chrome Web Store.
- Click Add to Chrome, then Add extension. Click the puzzle piece icon in your toolbar and pin Claude so it stays visible.
- Click the Claude icon and sign in with the same login you use for claude.ai.
Full help doc: /ai-builder/docs/claude-chrome/.
Extension installed but does nothing? Click the Claude icon on the page you're working in — the first time on a new site, you need to grant it per-site permission before it can see or act on the page.
Come get help before the first session at pre-course office hours. Sign up here.
- 1
Open PowerShell
Press the Windows key, type PowerShell, and click to open it. You'll see a window with text like
PS C:\Users\YourName>and a blinking cursor. You're in the right place.Never used a terminal before? A terminal is just a text-based way to give your computer instructions. You type something, press Enter, and it runs. That's all you need. - 2
Install Claude terminal
Click anywhere inside the PowerShell window, paste the command below, and press Enter:
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iexHow to paste in PowerShell: Right-click anywhere in the window. That's it — it pastes automatically. (Ctrl+V doesn't work here.)Wait about 30 seconds. When it's done, you'll see "Installation complete!" You may also see a warning about your PATH — don't worry, Step 3 fixes that.
- 3
Make Windows recognize Claude (required)
Windows installed Claude Code but doesn't know where to find it yet. This one-time fix tells it. Paste this command and press Enter:
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", $env:Path + ";$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin", [EnvironmentVariableTarget]::User)You won't see any output after running it — that's normal, it worked. Now close PowerShell completely and reopen it (Windows key → PowerShell). This restart is required. The change won't take effect until you do it.
- 4
Confirm you have a paid plan
Claude terminal requires Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise — the free Claude.ai plan does not include access. If your organization set this up for you, you're likely already covered. To verify or upgrade, go to claude.ai/upgrade.
- 5
Sign in
In the new PowerShell window, type the following and press Enter:
claudeIf you see "claude is not recognized", go back to Step 3 and make sure you reopened PowerShell after running that command.
Otherwise, you'll see an ASCII art welcome screen — that's normal. After a moment, one of two things will happen:
- A browser window opens automatically. Sign in with your Anthropic account and you're done — return to PowerShell.
- No browser opens. You'll see a long URL on screen and a line that says "Browser didn't open? Use the url below to sign in". Copy that entire URL, paste it into your browser, and sign in there. If PowerShell then shows "Paste code here if prompted >", copy the code from the browser page and paste it back into PowerShell, then press Enter.
Either way, once you're signed in you'll see a
>prompt — that means Claude is ready. - 6
Confirm it's working (optional)
Type this and press Enter:
claude --versionYou should see a version number like
2.x.x. If something looks wrong, runclaude doctor— it diagnoses and explains most common issues.
Come get help before the first session at pre-course office hours. Sign up here.
- 1
Download the ChatGPT desktop app
Codex now lives inside the unified ChatGPT desktop app (Chat, Work, and Codex in one app). Go to chatgpt.com/download, click the Windows download button, and run the installer once it downloads. After installing and signing in, use the mode switcher in the top-left corner of the app and choose Codex.
Already had the old ChatGPT app? After updating you may see two apps: ChatGPT (the new unified app, which includes Codex) and ChatGPT Classic (the old app, no Codex). Use the new ChatGPT app for this course, not Classic.
- 2
Sign in with your OpenAI account
Open Codex and sign in with your OpenAI credentials. If you don't have an account, create one at chatgpt.com before launching.
- 3
Confirm you have a paid plan
Codex requires a ChatGPT Plus or Pro plan ($20/mo and up). To check or upgrade your plan, go to chatgpt.com/upgrade.
- 4
Bring ChatGPT into your browser
Codex's built-in web access covers this for most students — useful for things like extracting design DNA from an inspiration website in Session 1, Build 2.
Use Codex's built-in web access. Codex can fetch URLs and browse the web directly from the desktop app. Just paste a link or ask it to "look up X online" and it will surf the web for you. No browser extension or separate app required.
- 5
Test your setup (optional)
Make sure you're in Codex mode (top-left switcher), then start a new task and send this prompt:
What model are you running on? I'm on a ChatGPT Plus/Pro plan.If the response confirms a current OpenAI model and your plan, you're all set.
Come get help before the first session at pre-course office hours. Sign up here.
- 1
Open Gemini in your browser (or download the Windows app)
Head to gemini.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Gemini runs entirely in the browser, so no download is required. If you'd prefer a native Windows app, you can also download Gemini from gemini.google.com/download.
- 2
Subscribe to Google AI Pro
A Google AI Pro plan ($19.99/mo) is required for full access to the models and features used in this program. Upgrade at one.google.com/about/google-ai-plans.
- 3
Use Chrome so Gemini is built into your browser
Chrome has Gemini integrated natively. Anywhere you browse, you can summon Gemini to help with the current page. If you don't already have Chrome, download it at google.com/chrome. Sign in with the same Google account you use for Gemini.
- 4
Test your setup (optional)
Open a new chat at gemini.google.com and send this message:
What Gemini model are you currently running on? I'm on Google AI Pro.If the response names a Gemini 2.x model, your plan is active and your setup is working.
Come get help before the first session at pre-course office hours. Sign up here.
- 1
Open the Copilot app (already on your machine)
Windows 11 ships with the Copilot app pre-installed. Press the Windows key, type Copilot, and click the app to open it. If you don't see it, install it from the Microsoft Store or download it at microsoft.com/copilot.
- 2
Sign in with your Microsoft account
When Copilot opens, sign in with your Microsoft account. If you don't have one, create one at account.microsoft.com before launching.
- 3
Confirm you have a paid plan
Microsoft has folded the old standalone Copilot Pro plan into Microsoft 365 Premium (about $20/mo). You need Premium, or a Microsoft 365 Personal/Family plan that includes Copilot, for full access to the models and features used in this program. See current plans at microsoft.com/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing/individuals.
- 4
Use Microsoft Edge for native Copilot in your browser
Edge ships pre-installed on Windows and has Copilot built into the sidebar, so you can chat with it next to any page you're reading. Open Edge from your taskbar or Start menu, sign in with the same Microsoft account, and click the Copilot icon in the top right to open the sidebar. If Edge isn't on your machine, download it at microsoft.com/edge. If Edge isn't on your machine, download it at that link.
Come get help before the first session at pre-course office hours. Sign up here.