MozaikaDesign system

Cursor — Design System

light · modern · medium · tailwind · confidence 90% · deep decode

Cursor inverts the landing-page playbook: the hero headline is a modest 26px/400 line of CursorGothic on warm bone #F7F7F4, and the drama is delegated entirely to the IDE — full-bleed editor screenshots layered like open windows, agents running in Mission Control panels. Buttons are soft full-radius pills in putty gray, the palette stays paper-and-graphite with syntax colors doing the accenting. It reads as a tool so certain of itself that the marketing whispers while the product screenshots shout.

Open in Mozaika →

This is a static, crawlable rendering for search & AI engines. The interactive version — filters, live decode console, copy & export — is at https://mozaika.design/ds/cursor.

Tokens

Cursor's decoded design system: background #F7F7F4, text #26251E, accent #E6E5E0, link #C08532, primary #F54E00; type scale h1 26px / h2 20px / body 16px; 4px spacing base; 3px base radius. The single interactive/action color is #E6E5E0 — used only on interactive or must-notice elements (buttons, links, key highlights), never on large fills.

Color roles

RoleValue
bg#F7F7F4
surface#EAEAE7
border#D7D7D3
text#26251E
text_muted#75746F
primary#F54E00
accent#E6E5E0
link#C08532
secondary#34785C
button_bg#E6E5E0
button_text#26251E

Using these colors

Typography

Spacing

Radii

Shadows (elevation)

Motion

Micro-interactions run at 150ms (dominant) with cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1).

Native design tokens

TokenValue
--color-bg#f7f7f4
--color-text-primary#26251e
--color-accent#f54e00
--color-code-bg#f2f1ed
--color-code-text#26251e
--color-bg-hover#ebeae5
--color-success#1f8a65
--color-error#cf2d56
--color-warning#f54e00
--color-bg-elevated#f2f1ed

…and 110 more measured on the page.

Button states (measured)

Layout (measured)

Motion choreography (measured)

Load order: span.shimmer×8 → div.border×2 → div.border×2 → div.border×2 → div.border×2 → span.w-[2px]

Overlay recipe (measured)

dropdown panel: #F2F1ED · radius 8px

Input (measured)

height 31px · radius 0px

Themes

dark counterpart: background #14120B, text #EDECEC.

Responsive (measured)

Per-section tokens (17)

Export: DESIGN.md

# Cursor — Design System

> light, modern, medium, tailwind — deep decode (measured live)

Cursor inverts the landing-page playbook: the hero headline is a modest 26px/400 line of CursorGothic on warm bone #F7F7F4, and the drama is delegated entirely to the IDE — full-bleed editor screenshots layered like open windows, agents running in Mission Control panels. Buttons are soft full-radius pills in putty gray, the palette stays paper-and-graphite with syntax colors doing the accenting. It reads as a tool so certain of itself that the marketing whispers while the product screenshots shout.

## Colors

| Role | Value |
|------|-------|
| bg | `#F7F7F4` |
| surface | `#EAEAE7` |
| border | `#D7D7D3` |
| text | `#26251E` |
| text_muted | `#75746F` |
| primary | `#F54E00` |
| accent | `#E6E5E0` |
| link | `#C08532` |
| secondary | `#34785C` |
| button_bg | `#E6E5E0` |
| button_text | `#26251E` |

**Using these colors**

- **Action color** `#E6E5E0` — the single interactive color; it appears only on things you click or must notice (buttons, key highlights), never on large fills or backgrounds.
- `accent`, `button_bg` are all `#E6E5E0` — one role, not several (your action color).
- **accent** `#E6E5E0` — THE accent / action color — interactive & must-notice only (buttons, links, focus, one key highlight); never large fills or backgrounds. Scarcity is what makes it read as designed.
- **primary** `#F54E00` — a brand color — but the call-to-action uses #E6E5E0, not this.
- **link** `#C08532` — fails contrast on the background (~2.9:1) — this is a dark UI color, NOT a readable link; use the text or action color for links (verify against the reference).
- **secondary** `#34785C` — optional secondary accent — LOW decode confidence; use rarely (a status color or a single decorative moment) or omit it entirely. Prefer one accent unless the reference clearly shows two.
- **Page coverage** (full-page screenshot pixels): `#F7F7F4` 80.9% · `#DAD6CE` 12.2% · `#A69D96` 6.9%

## Typography

- Heading: **Cursor Gothic** _(free fallback: Newsreader)_
- Body: **Cursor Gothic** _(free fallback: Newsreader)_
- Mono: **berkeleyMono** _(measured)_

| Role | Size / weight · line-height · tracking |
|------|------------------------------------------|
| hero | 36px / 400 · lh 43px · tracking -0.72px |
| h2 | 26px / 400 · lh 33px · tracking -0.33px |
| h3 | 22px / 400 · lh 29px · tracking -0.11px |
| body | 13px / 400 · lh 17px |
| small | 12px / 400 · lh 16px |

- Weight ladder: 400 · 500 · 600 · 700 — use these exact measured weights, not the 400/600 defaults.

> **Fonts —** Cursor Gothic may be proprietary — safe free fallback: Newsreader (Google Fonts).

## Spacing
- base unit: 4px (inferred from the measured scale)
- measured scale: 2px, 3px, 4px, 5px, 6px, 8px, 10px, 12px, 15px, 16px — snap all gaps/padding to these
- section rhythm: 67px top/bottom padding per section (measured)

## Radius
- base: 3px
- button: 9999px
- card: 4px
- pill: 9999px
- sharp: 3px

## Buttons

| Button | Fill / text | Border | Radius | Padding | Font | Shadow |
|--------|-------------|--------|--------|---------|------|--------|
| primary | `#26251E` / `#F7F7F4` | 1px solid rgb(38, 37, 30) | 3.35544e+07px | 5.6px 10.5px 5.88px 10.5px | 400 14px | none |
| secondary | `#E6E5E0` / `#26251E` | 1px solid oklab(0.263078 -0.0023028 0.0124791 / 0.025) | 3.35544e+07px | 12.48px 21.6px 12.8px 21.6px | 400 16px | none |

**States (measured, not guessed)**

- primary hover: border `1px solid rgb(59, 58, 51)` · background `#3B3A33`
- primary focus: outline `2px solid rgb(38, 37, 30)`
- secondary hover: background `#E1E0DB`

## Shadows (elevation)
- subtle: `rgb(235, 234, 229) 0px 0px 0px 2px`
- card: `rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3) 0px 22px 70px 4px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 0px 0px 0.5px`
- overlay: `rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.14) 0px 28px 70px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 14px 32px 0px, oklab(0.263078 -0.0023028 0.0124791 / 0.1) 0px 0px 0px 1px`

## Motion
- durations: 150ms (dominant) · 200ms · 140ms
- easings: `cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1)` (dominant) · `cubic-bezier(0, 0, 0.2, 1)`
- animated properties: border-color, color, background-color, outline-color

Micro-interactions use the dominant duration + easing; nothing on the page animates slower than the longest duration above — don't invent springier motion.

## Their own tokens (verbatim from :root)

| Token | Value |
|-------|-------|
| `--color-bg` | `#f7f7f4` |
| `--color-text-primary` | `#26251e` |
| `--color-accent` | `#f54e00` |
| `--color-code-bg` | `#f2f1ed` |
| `--color-code-text` | `#26251e` |
| `--color-bg-hover` | `#ebeae5` |
| `--color-success` | `#1f8a65` |
| `--color-error` | `#cf2d56` |
| `--color-warning` | `#f54e00` |
| `--color-bg-elevated` | `#f2f1ed` |
| `--color-timeline-thinking` | `#dfa88f` |
| `--color-timeline-grep` | `#9fc9a2` |

_…and 108 more measured on the page._

Prefer these names when extending their system — it's the brand's actual vocabulary.

## Layout (measured)
- container max 1300px · common grid: 3-col
- nav: 52px fixed · bg #F7F7F4

| Section (y) | Height | Cols | Gap | Pad y | Split |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 1086 | — | — | 112/67 | — |
| 1138 | 177 | 8 | 10 | 0/34 | — |
| 1382 | 715 | — | — | 0/0 | — |
| 2187 | 715 | — | — | 0/0 | — |
| 2991 | 685 | — | — | 0/0 | — |
| 3766 | 685 | — | — | 0/0 | — |
| 4518 | 724 | 3 | 10 | 67/67 | — |

## Motion choreography (measured)
Load order: `span.shimmer`×8 @0ms → `div.border`×2 @298ms → `div.border`×2 @298ms → `div.border`×2 @298ms → `div.border`×2 @300ms → `` @300ms
- overlay dropdown (auto-opened): panel #F2F1ED · r 8px · shadow oklab(0.263078 -0.0023028 0.0124791 / 0.1) 0px 0px 0px 1px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.28) 0px 18px 36px -18px

Rebuild the timeline, not just the durations — order, delays and staggers above are the choreography.

## Components (measured)
- input: h 31px · r 0px · bg rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) · placeholder oklab(0.263078 -0.0023028 0.0124791 / 0.5)
- link: #26251E · no underline
- disabled: bg #E1E0DB · text oklab(0.263078 -0.0023028 0.0124791 / 0.6)

## Themes (both measured)
- dark counterpart: bg `#14120B` · text `#EDECEC`
- tokens that flip between modes:
  - `--color-bg`: `#f7f7f4` → `#14120b`
  - `--color-text-primary`: `#26251e` → `#edecec`
  - `--color-code-bg`: `#f2f1ed` → `#1b1913`
  - `--color-code-text`: `#26251e` → `#edecec`
  - `--color-bg-hover`: `#ebeae5` → `#201e18`
  - `--color-bg-elevated`: `#f2f1ed` → `#1b1913`
  - `--color-theme-button-bg`: `#26251e` → `#edecec`
  - `--color-theme-product-editor`: `#f7f7f4` → `#1b1913`

## Responsive (measured)
- breakpoints: 420px · 600px · 640px · 660px · 768px · 900px
- mobile (390px): hero 24px · body 15px · nav: inline

## How to apply
Paste the Tailwind `@theme` (or CSS variables) as your base, then build each
section to its spec — verify every color, radius, and font against these tokens.
Hover/focus states, shadows and motion timings above are measured from the live page — match them exactly, don't re-guess them.

---

> **Decoded with Mozaika** — measured live, not guessed. Full decoded design system + one-command install: mozaika.design/ds/cursor

Export: Tailwind v4 (@theme)

@theme {
  /* action color #E6E5E0 — the one interactive color; buttons/links/emphasis only, never large fills. */
  --color-bg: #F7F7F4;
  --color-surface: #EAEAE7;
  --color-border: #D7D7D3;
  --color-text: #26251E;
  --color-text-muted: #75746F;
  --color-primary: #F54E00;  /* a brand color — but the call-to-action uses #E6E5E0, not this. */
  --color-accent: #E6E5E0;  /* THE accent / action color — interactive & must-notice only (buttons, links, focus, one key highlight); never large fills or backgrounds. Scarcity is what makes it read as designed. */
  --color-link: #C08532;  /* fails contrast on the background (~2.9:1) — this is a dark UI color, NOT a readable link; use the text or action color for links (verify against the reference). */
  --color-secondary: #34785C;  /* optional secondary accent — LOW decode confidence; use rarely (a status color or a single decorative moment) or omit it entirely. Prefer one accent unless the reference clearly shows two. */
  --color-button-bg: #E6E5E0;  /* primary-button fill — the main call-to-action color. */
  --color-button-text: #26251E;
  /* fonts: Cursor Gothic may be proprietary — safe free fallback: Newsreader (Google Fonts). */
  --font-heading: "Cursor Gothic", "Newsreader", system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  --font-body: "Cursor Gothic", "Newsreader", system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  --font-mono: "berkeleyMono", ui-monospace, monospace;
  /* measured weights: 400, 500, 600, 700 — use these, not 400/600 */
  --text-hero: 36px; --font-weight-hero: 400; --leading-hero: 43px; --tracking-hero: -0.72px;
  --text-h2: 26px; --font-weight-h2: 400; --leading-h2: 33px; --tracking-h2: -0.33px;
  --text-h3: 22px; --font-weight-h3: 400; --leading-h3: 29px; --tracking-h3: -0.11px;
  --text-body: 13px; --font-weight-body: 400; --leading-body: 17px;
  --text-small: 12px; --font-weight-small: 400; --leading-small: 16px;
  --radius-base: 3px;
  --radius-button: 9999px;
  --radius-card: 4px;
  --radius-pill: 9999px;
  --radius-sharp: 3px;
  --shadow-card: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3) 0px 22px 70px 4px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 0px 0px 0.5px;
  --shadow-overlay: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.14) 0px 28px 70px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 14px 32px 0px, oklab(0.263078 -0.0023028 0.0124791 / 0.1) 0px 0px 0px 1px;
  --shadow-subtle: rgb(235, 234, 229) 0px 0px 0px 2px;
  --color-btn-hover: #3B3A33;  /* measured primary hover fill */
  --outline-focus: 2px solid rgb(38, 37, 30);  /* measured focus ring */
  --ease-brand: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);
  --duration-fast: 140ms;  /* use: duration-[var(--duration-fast)] */
  --duration-base: 150ms;
  --duration-slow: 200ms;
  --section-y: 67px;  /* per-section vertical padding (measured) */
  --spacing: 4px;  /* measured base — drives the p-*/gap-* scale. steps seen on the page: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 16px */
}

Export: CSS variables

:root {
  /* action color #E6E5E0 — the one interactive color; buttons/links/emphasis only, never large fills. */
  --bg: #F7F7F4;
  --surface: #EAEAE7;
  --border: #D7D7D3;
  --text: #26251E;
  --text-muted: #75746F;
  --primary: #F54E00;  /* a brand color — but the call-to-action uses #E6E5E0, not this. */
  --accent: #E6E5E0;  /* THE accent / action color — interactive & must-notice only (buttons, links, focus, one key highlight); never large fills or backgrounds. Scarcity is what makes it read as designed. */
  --link: #C08532;  /* fails contrast on the background (~2.9:1) — this is a dark UI color, NOT a readable link; use the text or action color for links (verify against the reference). */
  --secondary: #34785C;  /* optional secondary accent — LOW decode confidence; use rarely (a status color or a single decorative moment) or omit it entirely. Prefer one accent unless the reference clearly shows two. */
  --button-bg: #E6E5E0;  /* primary-button fill — the main call-to-action color. */
  --button-text: #26251E;
  --font-heading: "Cursor Gothic", "Newsreader", system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  --font-body: "Cursor Gothic", "Newsreader", system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  --font-mono: "berkeleyMono", ui-monospace, monospace;
  --text-hero: 36px; --weight-hero: 400; --leading-hero: 43px; --tracking-hero: -0.72px;
  --text-h2: 26px; --weight-h2: 400; --leading-h2: 33px; --tracking-h2: -0.33px;
  --text-h3: 22px; --weight-h3: 400; --leading-h3: 29px; --tracking-h3: -0.11px;
  --text-body: 13px; --weight-body: 400; --leading-body: 17px;
  --text-small: 12px; --weight-small: 400; --leading-small: 16px;
  --radius: 3px;
  --radius-button: 9999px;
  --radius-card: 4px;
  --radius-pill: 9999px;
  --radius-sharp: 3px;
  --shadow-card: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3) 0px 22px 70px 4px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 0px 0px 0.5px;
  --shadow-overlay: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.14) 0px 28px 70px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 14px 32px 0px, oklab(0.263078 -0.0023028 0.0124791 / 0.1) 0px 0px 0px 1px;
  --shadow-subtle: rgb(235, 234, 229) 0px 0px 0px 2px;
  --btn-bg-hover: #3B3A33;
  --focus-ring: 2px solid rgb(38, 37, 30);
  --ease: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);
  --duration-fast: 140ms;
  --duration-base: 150ms;
  --duration-slow: 200ms;
  --section-y: 67px;
}

/* their own tokens, verbatim from the site's :root */
:root {
  --color-bg: #f7f7f4;
  --color-text-primary: #26251e;
  --color-accent: #f54e00;
  --color-code-bg: #f2f1ed;
  --color-code-text: #26251e;
  --color-bg-hover: #ebeae5;
  --color-success: #1f8a65;
  --color-error: #cf2d56;
  --color-warning: #f54e00;
  --color-bg-elevated: #f2f1ed;
  --color-timeline-thinking: #dfa88f;
  --color-timeline-grep: #9fc9a2;
}
/* fonts: Cursor Gothic may be proprietary — safe free fallback: Newsreader (Google Fonts). */