Design Mode Visual Editing
Use visual selection to make layout fixes concrete.
Use the right surface
After this you can pick Design Mode for the right job and define done.
Done means you can make a targeted visual change while preserving the design system.
For UI work, the proof is visual and behavioral: screenshot, console, keyboard and responsive checks.
Use Design ModeA way to point at an element in Cursor's built-in browser and change it directly, instead of describing it in words. when a visual issue is easier to point at than to describe from code. Keep the boundary narrow.
Start small. Name the job, attach the context that proves the point and decide what evidence would make the output trustworthy.
Read the loop before touching the controls. The first beat frames the work, the second uses Cursor, the third checks the result and the fourth leaves a handoff someone else can inspect.
Interactive diagram. Tab through its regions; each focused region shows its detail in the panel below.
Run this loop in a real repo.
- Entry point
- Design ModeA way to point at an element in Cursor's built-in browser and change it directly, instead of describing it in words. click, draw, multi-select and voice input
- Source
- Browser docs and June 2026 Design ModeA way to point at an element in Cursor's built-in browser and change it directly, instead of describing it in words. changelog
Use the source as the product reference.
Ask Cursor for an output you can inspect.
If the output cannot be checked, narrow the task before you continue.
A good run leaves a file, setting, screenshot, command result or written claim you can verify.
Takeaway. Done means you can make a targeted visual change while preserving the design system.
Self-check
QWhen should you reach for Design ModeA way to point at an element in Cursor's built-in browser and change it directly, instead of describing it in words.?
Run it
After this you can do the task with clear scope and one proof point.
Treat this as a short practice loop, not a product tour. The task should be small enough that you can inspect the result without trusting the summary.
- 1Open the running page and select the exact element, area or group of related elements.
- 2Describe or narrate the desired visual change in product terms, queueing voice follow-ups only when they extend the same task.
- 3Let Cursor inspect surrounding layout and code.
- 4Verify the final rendering at relevant viewport sizes.
The exercise is complete only when the proof matches the requested outcome. If the proof is weak, reduce the scope or fix the context instead of adding more instructions.
Keep the task small enough to review.
Typography, spacing and colors stay consistent.
Takeaway. Stop when you have proof: The selected element or multi-selected group is the area that changed..
Self-check
QWhich habit makes this workflow safe to use on a real project?
Check it
After this you can find the first failed check before changing tools.
Verification decides the next move.
Interactive diagram. Tab through its regions; each focused region shows its detail in the panel below.
Pick a row to see what to look for.
Use the first failure signal as the next prompt. Broad retries usually make the run noisier; a narrow retry gives Cursor a concrete repair target.
No proof means more checking.
Use a real repo or admin setting. Save the prompt, context and proof.
Takeaway. If it fails, find the first failed check.
Self-check
QThe workflow failed. What is the best first move?