Abstract: During a process called live design, a computing system may receive, from a repository, an instance of a first component comprising a first set of one or more metaobjects that provides a binary representation of the instance of the first component. In turn, the computing system may render the instance of the first component as an icon and a first set of one or more underlying panes that provide a visual expression of the instance of the first component. The computing system may then receive, via the first set of one or more underlying panes, a user modification to the instance of the first component. Thereafter, the computing device and/or the repository may determine whether the user modification to the instance of the first component is valid, and may process the user modification in accordance with the determining.