Developed an App in Just 4 Hours! App Development Experience Workshop Using Generative AI and Vibe Coding Held for Students

ProtoOut Studio, which conducts practical training to increase the number of "citizen developers" in various fields such as retail, medical care, and restaurants, held a student workshop titled "App Development Experience using Generative AI x Vibe Coding" at STATION Ai in Nagoya in January 2026, as part of STAPS, a student entrepreneur development program sponsored by Aichi Prefecture.

The purpose of this workshop is not just to build something and finish, but to acquire the ability to reproduce the process after the workshop while treating generative AI as a means of development. First, it is a hands-on workshop where participants quickly create an app using "Manus," an autonomous AI agent that thinks, plans, and executes autonomously based on user instructions, and then add and improve features to the app template using a method called vibe coding.

In a short period of time, participants created an app from scratch, implemented their own ideas into it, and presented their results.

▪️App Development Experience with Generative AI

1. Opening

First, we start by confirming the overall goal. By aligning the goals of the course at the beginning, even if the participants have different prerequisites (experience levels, strengths, and weaknesses), we can build a shared understanding of what will be achieved in these 4 hours. As a result, even if they get stuck along the way, it becomes easier to judge "where they are now and what should be prioritized," allowing the hands-on session to proceed in an environment where it is easy to ask questions.

Opening by Representative Nobisuke Sugawara

2. Hands-on First Half: Building the Fastest Working Prototype

In the first half, we use Manus to create an app with features to save dates, times, memos, and photos, getting it to run on a smartphone. App production requires a certain amount of prerequisite knowledge, such as initial settings for frameworks and peripheral tools. Therefore, in this hands-on session, by utilizing Manus for app production, even if there are differences in the prerequisite knowledge of the participants, we can consistently provide a working app. Before moving on to the improvements in the second half using the method called vibe coding, we ensure everyone has a working app on hand and understands "what kind of instructions (prompts) given to the generative AI will change which parts of the app and how."

Scene from the day

3. Hands-on Second Half: Adding and Improving Features with Vibe Coding

In the second half, we used vibe coding to add features to the app created with Manus. Vibe coding is a method that automates everything from design and implementation to testing simply by conveying vague instructions or intuitive requests (vibes) such as "I want a feature like this" or "I want this kind of atmosphere" to the AI agent.

Previously, giving shape to ideas required long-term technical learning and the acquisition of specialized knowledge, but vibe coding has made it possible to materialize ideas in a short amount of time, enabling anyone to realize practical applications.

Through this, we are providing a new experience of "realizing ideas using AI" rather than "learning technology."

Adding features to the app through trial and error

4. Applied Production and Presentation

Towards the end, participants presented their creations. Instead of just finishing after making them, each person verbalized and shared the points they devised. All the students created various apps with unique ideas, such as [an app that plans 3 meals a day for a month using seasonal ingredients]. Here, rather than focusing on the completeness of the app, we emphasize verbalizing and sharing "why they created the app/feature," "where they got stuck and how they solved it," and "what they want to do next." By not just ending with the creation, we believe that the participants can utilize this hands-on experience in their future use of generative AI.

Apps actually created by the students

▪️Over 90% Satisfaction! An Experience That Connects to the Participants' Future

In the questionnaire conducted after this workshop, we received a high evaluation with an average satisfaction score of 9.1 (out of 10). Here, we introduce some of the voices of the students.

- The "psychological hurdle" of app development has significantly lowered

As a major change from this training, many commented that their preconception that app development is difficult was overturned. Specifically, we received feedback such as "I was surprised that the hurdle for app development has dropped this much" and "The hurdle for giving shape to my own ideas has lowered." We can sense that they experienced a change in feeling that "I might be able to make something myself too."

- Changed from "knowing" to "being able to use"

There was a comment saying, "I knew about the existence of vibe coding, but I felt a hurdle in using it. By actually experiencing it, I realized I could use it myself," confirming that knowledge led to practice. Furthermore, there was also a comment saying "I think I can utilize it in future development," showing that it didn't end with learning, but feels like it will lead to future actions.

- "Interaction" and "Diversity" that broaden participants' perspectives

There were voices such as "I interacted and helped each other with people I met for the first time" and "Since there were many individual participants, it was good to be able to chat at the end," showing that it functions not just for learning but also as a community experience. There was also a comment saying "Junior high and high school students also participated, which was stimulating," and we could see that a cross-generational venue enriches the learning experience.

Helping each other while proceeding

▪️Value as Corporate Training

A Design That Turns Learning into the "Ability to Reproduce in the Field"

ProtoOut Studio's training is not just about inputting knowledge, but is designed so that participants can take home a "deliverable" and a "reproducible procedure" even within a limited time. What is important in DX human resource development is that the learning gained in the training does not end as a one-time experience, but becomes a state that can be repeatedly reproduced. To increase that reproducibility, this training runs the following cycle in a short time.

・ Moving your hands

・ First, make something that works

・ Getting stuck

・ Facing errors or the unexpected

・ Solving

・ Isolating the cause, fixing it, and moving forward

・ Sharing

・ Learning from others' devices and sticking points

・ Reflecting

・ Verbalizing what to try next

While utilizing generative AI increases development speed, the quality of the outcome depends on the operation of requirements organization, review, and modification. In this training, through the practice of humans keeping control of the procedure, we incorporate generative AI into a form that can be practically used in the future. Even in a short workshop, creating a state where each person can make small prototypes after taking the course, and connecting it to efficiency improvement and PoC for new plans. We believe this is the value provided by the training.

Why not change the culture of digital utilization in your company together?

At ProtoOut Studio, we can design corporate training tailored to purposes such as generative AI utilization, operational efficiency improvement, and DX human resource development. Please consult us if you want to design training that connects to practical work according to your company's sense of issues (e.g., field automation, RAG utilization, raising the base level of generative AI literacy across departments).

Event Overview

Date and Time: January 10, 2026 (Saturday) 13:00 - 17:00

Venue: STATION Ai (Nagoya)

[STATION Ai Official Website here] https://stationai.co.jp/

Target: Those currently enrolled in graduate schools, universities, high schools, technical colleges, vocational schools, and junior high schools in Japan and overseas

Capacity: 24 people (offline)

Theme: App Development Experience with Generative AI and Vibe Coding

ProtoOut Studio

We are a specialized prototyping school that simultaneously develops planning, technical, and communication skills.

(Related article: Programming learning is already outdated. Opening Japan's first prototyping-specialized school responsible for innovation in the "Reiwa" era https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000005.000020328.html )