This paper deals with the model-based approach that has been adopted to design the plasma magnetic control at the EAST tokamak. Such a design approach, which is based on a linear model for the response of the plasma and of the surrounding coils, has been successfully applied in 2016 to design an alternative solution for the plasma vertical stabilization, the plasma centroid position control, and the controller of the currents in the poloidal field circuits. After an introduction to the linear model for the plasma/circuits response, the proposed control algorithms are presented together with the preliminary results obtained during the 2016 experimental campaign at EAST. A brief description of the ongoing and future design activities is also given.