Abstract: Designing a cloud based service from a component palette can include providing a designer with a component palette. The component palette can include a plurality of component types each including an identification of the component type, a property defining the component type, and a relationship rule defining a relationship with another component type. The component palette can include a component template corresponding to a component type, comprising a specialized variant of the component type, wherein the component template inherits the property and the relationship rule of the component type. Designing can include receiving a request for a new component type from the designer, receiving an indication of one component type from which to derive the new component type, and deriving the new component type from the indicated one component type inheriting the property and the relationship rule from the indicated one of the plurality of component types.