Cursor

Cursor: Case Study Streamlining Experience for All Developers

Timeline
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March - May 2025

Roles
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UX Research Lead
Product Designer
UI Designer

Team
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Yaya Hagen
Tiffany Chau

Tools
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Figma
Dovetail

01/ Context

Cursor is an AI-powered code editor designed to help developers in writing, debugging, and optimizing code.

Declaring that it was made for both novice and experienced developers, we wanted to test how well it actually works for different types of users. In our analysis, we tested getting started with Cursor, how helpful AI suggestions are, and whether it is an intuitive experience.

Problem: Cursor is difficult to onboard and use and assumes the skills of the user.

Solution: Redesigning the Cursor interface to fit user needs of all levels.

Impacts

Led research interviews, identifying key user pain points and improving onboarding and accessibility, resulting in a more intuitive user experience for both beginners and experienced developers.
Led wireframing and early design iterations, addressing navigation issues and confusing terminology, resulting in a streamlined onboarding experience for users at all skill levels.
Created and presented design decks, clearly communicating user insights and design decisions, which helped align the team and stakeholders on key product directions.

The Problem Space

While using Cursor, we found that many users struggled with onboarding, understanding the interface and starting a new project.
‍

1. Onboarding is hard to understand

2. Interface includes hidden features and unfamiliar terminology

3. Starting a new project takes too long

Our Goals

1. Make it easier for new users to understand the onboarding

2. Fewer usability errors and hesitations

3. Make it faster and much simpler to create a new project

/04 Moderated Testing

using FIGMA and dovetail

Similarly, recruiting participants, we conducted 3 moderated interviews on Zoom.
Our participants were experienced developers, two familiar with Cursor, and one new to Cursor.

Our tasks for Moderated testers
1. Navigate our prototype
2. Engage with feedback

QUOTES

“It’s hard to read. But you know what will help? Let’s say I click on it and then this search window. If it pops right on top of this one. Then I know like you click on it and there’s another screen opens where you search.”

“I would have liked if before I signed up, if there was just something telling me what Cursor was a little bit more.”

“Yeah, I Definitely think adding these three buttons will benefit like beginners or people who are not very familiar with VS code who just want to start live coding.”

06/ Outcomes and Reflections

We learned how important it is to design onboarding especially more intuitively, with clarity, and with different experience levels and accessibility in mind.

We realized that even small changes like instruction or clearer buttons can ease hesitation for users.

NEXT STEPS

If we had more time, we would’ve tested with an even wider range of users, including complete beginners, and incorporated accessibility needs earlier in the design. Moving forward, we plan to explore more personalized onboarding options, stronger support features like FAQs, and long-term testing to see how the experience holds up over time.

01/ Context

The Problem Space

Our Goals

02/ Evaluative Research

Competitive audit

How Might We

streamline Cursor’s onboarding and redesign the first-time experience to feel intuitive and efficient for developers?

Design Version 1

/03 Unmoderated Testing

/03 Insights

/04 Moderated Testing

/04 Insights

/05 Final Design

06/ Outcomes and Reflections

That's all.