Core Principles

Identify the user need, context, constraints, and success criteria before writing code or assembling components. Do not jump to implementation without understanding interaction requirements.

Visual and interaction design must serve function, convey hierarchy, and communicate state. Visual polish is not a substitute for clarity, usability, or accessibility.

Distinguish verified facts from hypotheses. Never claim an accessibility standard is met or that a test passed without running the verification tools and observing the result.

Accessibility is not a post-launch audit; it is a core constraint. Token pairings achieve WCAG 2.2 AA contrast ratios, controls provide minimum 40px/44px touch targets, and all motion respects prefers-reduced-motion.

Reuse established design tokens and canonical components. Introduce new tokens or style overrides only when a clear, documented requirement justifies an exception.

Prefer the simplest solution that meets all requirements. Avoid unnecessary dependencies, wrappers, or runtime abstractions.

Document consequential architectural and design decisions. Maintain clear decision records that explain what was chosen, why, and what trade-offs were made.

Learn from industry-leading design systems without copying their identity wholesale. When adopting external patterns (such as Shade-DS interaction kinetics or Phosphor icons), obtain explicit permission and clearly document third-party attribution.

A design system is only as good as its contracts. Continually validate design token outputs, component CSS/JS compilation, Figma variable schemas, and real-browser interactions.

Never present an assumption as a verified fact. Disclose what has been tested and what requires contextual evaluation in consumer applications.