diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
index 34db2cc..8b91ad2 100644
--- a/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 graft src/humulus/static
 graft src/humulus/templates
+graft src/humulus/designs
 global-exclude *.pyc
diff --git a/src/humulus/couch.py b/src/humulus/couch.py
index 6a8ece4..f957316 100644
--- a/src/humulus/couch.py
+++ b/src/humulus/couch.py
@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-from datetime import datetime
 import json
 import uuid
+from datetime import datetime
+from pathlib import Path
 
 import click
 from cloudant import CouchDB
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ def build_couch():
     couch = get_couch()
     dbname = current_app.config['COUCH_DATABASE']
     couch.create_database(dbname, throw_on_exists=False)
+    put_designs()
 
 
 @click.command('build-couch')
@@ -121,11 +123,32 @@ def get_doc_or_404(id):
     return doc
 
 
-def put_doc_from_file(filename):
-    """Loads filename and stores it in couch.
+def put_designs():
+    """Loads all design docs from the designs/ folder and puts them.
 
-    The file must be valid JSON.
+    If any documents are missing an '_id' field, a KeyError exception will have
+    been raised. Not all documents will have been loaded.
     """
-    with open(filename, 'r') as doc:
-        response = put_doc(json.load(doc))
-    return response
+    here = Path(__file__).parent
+
+    for filename in here.glob('designs/*.json'):
+        with open(filename, 'r') as fp:
+            data = json.load(fp)
+
+        # See if document already exists
+        if data['_id'] in get_db():
+            doc = get_doc(data['_id'])
+            # Popping off the revision and storing it. Then compare
+            rev = doc.pop('_rev')
+            doc.pop('created', None)
+            if data == doc:
+                get_db().clear()
+                return
+            # Copy the values of data to doc.
+            for k in data:
+                doc[k] = data[k]
+            doc['_rev'] = rev  # Add the revision back
+            print(doc)
+            doc.save()
+        else:
+            put_doc(data)
diff --git a/src/humulus/designs/recipes.json b/src/humulus/designs/recipes.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a12c30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/humulus/designs/recipes.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "_id": "_design/recipes",
+  "language": "javascript",
+  "views": {
+    "by-date": {
+      "map": "function (doc) {\n  if (doc.$type == \"recipe\" && doc.created && doc.name) {\n    emit(doc.created, doc.name)\n  }\n}"
+    }
+  },
+  "lists": {},
+  "indexes": {},
+  "shows": {}
+ }
diff --git a/tests/assets/changed/designs/recipes.json b/tests/assets/changed/designs/recipes.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a12c30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/assets/changed/designs/recipes.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "_id": "_design/recipes",
+  "language": "javascript",
+  "views": {
+    "by-date": {
+      "map": "function (doc) {\n  if (doc.$type == \"recipe\" && doc.created && doc.name) {\n    emit(doc.created, doc.name)\n  }\n}"
+    }
+  },
+  "lists": {},
+  "indexes": {},
+  "shows": {}
+ }
diff --git a/tests/assets/initial/designs/recipes.json b/tests/assets/initial/designs/recipes.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4cb6650
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/assets/initial/designs/recipes.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "_id": "_design/recipes",
+  "language": "javascript",
+  "views": {},
+  "lists": {},
+  "indexes": {},
+  "shows": {}
+ }
diff --git a/tests/assets/test_doc.json b/tests/assets/test_doc.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 01c89e3..0000000
--- a/tests/assets/test_doc.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "_id": "testfile",
-  "foo": "bar"
-}
diff --git a/tests/test_couch.py b/tests/test_couch.py
index b248b4f..127add2 100644
--- a/tests/test_couch.py
+++ b/tests/test_couch.py
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-import pathlib
 import uuid
+from pathlib import Path
 
-from humulus.couch import get_doc, put_doc, update_doc, put_doc_from_file
+from humulus.couch import get_doc, put_doc, update_doc, put_designs
 
 
 def test_put_doc(app):
@@ -67,9 +67,26 @@ def test_get_doc(app):
         assert get_doc('foobar')['data'] == 'test'
 
 
-def test_put_doc_from_file(app):
-    here = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent
+def test_put_designs(app, monkeypatch):
+    # Always return the path to our test assets
+    testpath = Path(__file__).parent
+
     with app.app_context():
-        response = put_doc_from_file(here/'assets'/'test_doc.json')
-    assert response['_id'] == 'testfile'
-    assert response['foo'] == 'bar'
+        # Test initial load of designs
+        monkeypatch.setattr(Path, 'parent', testpath/'assets/initial')
+        put_designs()
+
+        recipes = get_doc('_design/recipes')
+        assert 'language' in recipes
+        rev = recipes['_rev']
+
+        # Try again, make sure nothing changed.
+        put_designs()
+        recipes = get_doc('_design/recipes')
+        assert recipes['_rev'] == rev
+
+        # Test that changes can be loaded
+        monkeypatch.setattr(Path, 'parent', testpath/'assets/changed')
+        put_designs()
+        recipes = get_doc('_design/recipes')
+        assert 'by-date' in recipes['views']