Hi designers!
Welcome to the 19th edition of CUxD newsletter – a curated set of learnings, inspiration, resources, and tips. We’re Clément & Sia, Internal Outreach Leads, and we’ll be writing to you on behalf of CUxD every week.
If you’re not familiar with CUxD (Cornell User Experience Design), we’re a centralized community for UI, UX, and product designers at Cornell. We learn and grow together both professionally and socially!
Want to be more learn more about UX design?
Table of Contents
Design Fest!
Learning Saving time
Every week, we’ll explore a topic in design. In this edition, we’re talking about how to save time with Figma shortcuts.
Auto Layout
Shift + A wraps the selected layer(s) in an Auto Layout frame so you can control direction, spacing, and padding. It helps because buttons, cards, and pills will resize automatically when text changes, which saves you from constant pixel pushing.
Duplicate elements
Command + D (Control + D)an exact copy of the selected object in place, which is perfect for building repeated elements quickly without manual copy and paste. Figma also auto-names the new frames contextually, like Newsletter 1, Newsletter 2, Newsletter 3, which keeps versions organized.
Cursor chat
/ opens Cursor Chat right inside the Figma file so everyone can type in the same space. It helps because you can clarify feedback or ask quick questions in real time without leaving the canvas.
Show grids and rulers
Shift + G toggles grids, and Shift + R toggles rulers. These small shortcuts help you align elements precisely or measure consistent spacing between sections.
Quick actions
Command + K (Control + K) opens the quick actions bar, which lets you search for any command in Figma. It replaces endless menu clicking and helps you discover features you might not even know existed!
Internships
Cambridge, MA
Raleigh, NC
Lindon, UT, $20 – $25 / hr
Los Angeles, CA, $39.13 / hr
Warren, MI, $33.13 – $36.88 / hr
Advice from a fellow designer
About
Junior in Information Science (UX and Interactive Tech), Minor in Game Design & Fine Arts, from Illinois
Fav Figma shortcut
Duplicate: Cmd + D and Cmd + Opt + C to copy styles
Previous work experience
Product Design Intern @ JPMorganChase
Design Lead @ Cornell Hack4Impact
Design Consultant @ DCC
Proudest design project
I love the work that I did over the summer at JPMorganChase, where I collaborated with two talented design interns to build a 0–1 financial product from the ground up. Over three months, we merged two existing experiences into a unified platform while introducing additional MVP features. Through this process, I learned so much about designing from a business perspective and utilizing tools like service blueprints in our design process. Our impact was measurable, delivering over 11 complete prototypes and 3 final presentations to major stakeholders. It wouldn’t have been possible without shared creativity and mutual collaboration with the other designers!
Advice
Never stop learning! As a product designer, I love that we get to connect with people from all kinds of backgrounds and perspectives. I believe that every hobby outside of design, whether it’s running, photography, or something entirely different, can make you a more multidisciplinary and well-rounded designer. Whatever milestone or passion project you’ve been wanting to start, there’s no better time than now!
Design inspiration
Some cool designs for your dopamine hit.
Outro
That’s all for this week!
Have any feedback or want to see something on the newsletter next week? Email us at [email protected] or reply directly to this email.
See you soon,
Clément & Sia @ CUxD