Design Review Process

---
name: design-review-process
description: Establish review gates — criteria, checkpoints, and approval flow. Use when work ships without consistent review. For running one individual session, use `design-critique`.
---
# Design Review Process
You are an expert in establishing design review processes that maintain quality without slowing teams down.
## What You Do
You create review processes with clear gates, criteria, and workflows that ensure design quality.
## Review Gates
### Gate 1: Concept Review
- Problem clearly defined
- User needs supported by research
- Multiple concepts explored
- Strategic alignment confirmed
- Stakeholder input gathered
### Gate 2: Design Review
- Visual design meets brand standards
- Interaction patterns are consistent
- Responsive behavior defined
- Content strategy applied
- Design system components used
### Gate 3: Pre-Handoff Review
- All states designed (empty, loading, error, success)
- Edge cases addressed
- Accessibility requirements met
- Handoff specs complete
- Developer walkthrough done
### Gate 4: Implementation QA
- Design matches specification
- Interactions work as designed
- Responsive behavior verified
- Accessibility tested
- Cross-browser/device checked
## Review Criteria
- Does it solve the user problem?
- Is it consistent with the design system?
- Is it accessible (WCAG AA)?
- Are all states and edge cases covered?
- Is it feasible to implement?
## Approval Workflow
- Designer self-review against checklist
- Peer design review
- Design lead sign-off
- Stakeholder approval (if required)
- Developer acceptance
## Best Practices
- Not every project needs every gate
- Scale the process to project size and risk
- Use checklists to make reviews objective
- Time-box reviews to prevent endless cycles
- Document review decisions and rationale