Cursor Head of Design Reviews Startup Websites

Review of Crunched, an AI tool for Excel targeting finance professionals. Main issues include unclear value proposition, distracting animations, inconsistent hover states, and overly technical jargon that doesn't explain what the product actually does. The site assumes too much domain knowledge without providing clear explanations.

• •Add explicit sub-headlines under marketing copy to literally explain what the product does
• •Avoid premature CTAs and animations that distract before users understand the value
• •Use target audience's language but don't assume they know your internal terminology (e.g., 'DCF')
• •Fix basic interaction details like hover states - sloppy execution undermines credibility
• •Consider using safe, system fonts over poorly chosen custom fonts when design expertise is limited

Discussion of how to avoid the 'AI slop' aesthetic when using tools like Cursor. Ryo identifies telltale signs: purple gradients, massive shadows, poor typography, and generic component choices. The solution is establishing robust design tokens and foundational components that AI can compose well.

• •Avoid typical AI defaults: purple gradients, excessive shadows, bad typography
• •When uncertain about design, go safe with system fonts rather than making poor custom choices
• •Establish clean foundational design tokens (colors, spacing, typography) before letting AI generate
• •AI composes well when given good building blocks - the foundation matters more than generation
• •Focus on avoiding sloppy core styles rather than trying to be overly creative

Review of Velvet's video generation tool highlighting a critical issue: visitors can't determine what the product is, who it's for, or how it differs from competitors. Only six words describe the product, with most content focused on signup CTAs. The site has striking visuals but fails to answer basic questions.

• •Answer four critical questions users ask: What is this? Is it for me? Does it work? Is it credible?
• •Don't rely solely on visuals to communicate - add explicit written explanations
• •Explain how your product differs from obvious alternatives (e.g., Sora for video generation)
• •Avoid asking for money/commitment before users understand what they're buying
• •Balance visual appeal with information density - striking demos need context

Analysis of an MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration tool suffering from dual naming confusion, excessive jargon, and unclear value proposition. The site uses internal concepts that users don't understand and fails to explain problems being solved in user language.

• •Never use two different names for the same product - it creates immediate confusion
• •Speak in your users' language about their problems, not your internal concepts
• •Show concrete integrations/capabilities rather than abstract benefits (e.g., display all supported MCPs)
• •Explain 'old world vs new world' - what problems exist today and how you solve them
• •Avoid pricing/monetization too early - get users to trial before asking for money
• •Remove unnecessary visual elements like animated charts that distract without informing

Review of a developer learning platform with severe brand consistency issues across different pages, unclear company identity, and confusing navigation. Different sections use wildly different designs (purple gradients, black/white, different color schemes), making it feel like multiple disconnected products.

• •Maintain consistent visual design across all pages - users should feel they're on the same site
• •Make company name/logo prominent and consistent - visitors shouldn't have to hunt for it
• •Lead with positive value propositions rather than negative framing ('stop doing X')
• •Standardize profile images with filters (black/white, consistent backgrounds) rather than modifying them
• •Don't over-emphasize backing/credentials (YC logo) at expense of explaining the actual product
• •Ensure 'About' pages live on your site, not external links that break user flow

Discussion of core design principles for startup websites: maintaining single primary CTAs per section, establishing clear visual hierarchy, and ensuring first impressions are polished. Ryo emphasizes that anything above the fold must be perfect as it sets expectations for the entire product.

• •Every scroll section should have only ONE main CTA - avoid competing calls to action
• •Prioritize: main message → what it is → CTA → social proof, in that order
• •Anything above the fold must be pixel-perfect - no obvious detail bugs or alignment issues
• •First impressions set expectations for product quality - polish matters disproportionately
• •Use consistent sizing, shadows, and borders across similar elements (screenshots, cards, images)

Quick review highlighting how small visual inconsistencies undermine otherwise solid messaging. Issues include misaligned elements, inconsistent image treatments, mixed shadow styles, and raw markdown-looking UI that feels unfinished despite clear value proposition.

• •Structure and messaging can be good while execution details ruin credibility
• •Avoid 'boxes within boxes within boxes' - simplify visual hierarchy
• •Ensure consistent treatment of similar elements (all screenshots should match in style)
• •Don't reference other products (Cursor, ChatGPT, Notion) to explain yourself - own your identity
• •Polish matters more above the fold than anywhere else - users extrapolate quality from first screen

Review of the best-executed site in the batch, featuring clear messaging, accessible demo, and strong value communication. Main critique is scroll hijacking and unclear primary CTA between 'Talk to Freya' and 'Meet the Team.'

• •Make demos immediately accessible and obvious - don't hide your best feature
• •Clear messaging beats clever copy - straightforward explanations work
• •Never hijack scroll behavior - it frustrates users and breaks expectations
• •Choose one primary CTA and make it prominent (e.g., 'Book a Demo' over 'Meet the Team')
• •If targeting enterprise, ensure messaging clearly indicates who the product is for

Analysis of a well-executed site with good messaging and visual details, but confusing section breaks and card treatments. Discussion of how individual components can be well-designed while overall composition creates hierarchy issues.

• •Make target audience explicit early - don't bury 'for US C-corps, LLCs' at the bottom
• •Section breaks should reinforce hierarchy, not confuse it - avoid mixing full-width and card layouts
• •Show specific product details in screenshots rather than distant, unclear full-page views
• •Consider hiding sticky CTAs until users scroll past hero to avoid distraction
• •Well-designed individual pieces can still create confusion if composition is off

Review of a visual prompting tool with discussion of how to handle AI loading states effectively. Ryo explains the importance of showing progressive states, controlling user focus during generation, and avoiding empty spinners that provide no information about what's happening.

• •Show every state in AI generation process - users want to know what's happening, not just wait
• •Display tool calls and actions as they happen, but control information density to avoid overwhelm
• •Shift user focus progressively: show running tasks → actions needing confirmation → final output
• •Avoid random loading messages or empty spinners - they're distracting without being helpful
• •Let users try the product before forcing signup - give 3-5 free interactions to hook them
• •Ensure initial demos are constrained to produce good output and showcase capabilities