layers

To clarify product scope before building, enforce an upfront orientation step that defines surface purpose, primary user groups, and success criteria. This aligns product, design, and engineering teams on goals to prevent misaligned frontend work.

Mapping user flows before implementation requires identifying essential user journey steps and decision points during an orientation phase. This interaction-flow mapping ensures all team members understand the required user journey before code is written.

Document design acceptance criteria by capturing orientation outputs, including user goals and success metrics, into formal PRODUCT.md and DESIGN.md files. This establishes shared acceptance standards and reduces downstream rework.

Frontend design scoping can work without predefined dependencies or components. It operates as an intermediate-level orientation process focusing on product-design thinking and interaction flows rather than requiring specific technical libraries.

Misaligned frontend work happens when teams skip upfront orientation and build surfaces without clarifying user intent or success metrics. Prevent it by enforcing an orientation step that explicitly captures goals, user groups, and success criteria before coding.

Run a product orientation step when starting any new page, feature, or surface. It is needed to define what the surface is for, who the primary user is, and what success looks like before implementation begins.