/vision

Design Audit Checklist

Reference for Vision's audit recipe. REVIEW-mode design quality audit: Nielsen 10 heuristics, WCAG 2.2 AA pass/fail grid, token-drift detection, prioritized remediation backlog.

1. Audit Scope Definition

Before scoring, declare scope:

Cap one audit at ~10 surfaces / 90 minutes of evaluation. Larger scopes need batching.

2. Nielsen 10 Usability Heuristics

Score each surface 1-5 against:

Aggregate: avg < 3.0 → P1 systemic remediation; 3.0-4.0 → targeted; ≥ 4.0 → polish.

3. WCAG 2.2 AA Pass/Fail Grid

Mandatory checks per surface:

ADA Title II reminder: as of 2026-04-24 (state/local pop. ≥ 50K), WCAG 2.1 AA is mandated; penalties up to $150K/violation. Document failures as legal risk.

4. Token Drift Detection

Scan for hardcoded values where tokens should exist:

Tools: design-system-linter, Theo, Style Dictionary's validate, Figma Variables API, custom regex on CSS-in-JS.

Drift score:

drift % = (hardcoded_values / total_style_declarations) × 100

• < 5% → healthy
• 5-15% → targeted cleanup

• 15% → systemic; pause feature work

5. Design System Anti-Pattern Scan

6. Performance + UX Crossovers

Performance regressions are UX regressions — flag in audit.

7. Prioritized Remediation Backlog

Score each finding on Effort × Impact:

Output format:

## Remediation backlog

| ID | Finding | Heuristic / WCAG | Surface | Effort | Impact | Priority | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-01 | Focus ring missing on tabs | WCAG 2.4.7 | Settings | L | H | P1 | Palette |
| F-02 | Inline color hex on CTAs | Token drift | All | L | M | P2 | Muse |
| F-03 | Modal-in-modal in flow X | Anti-pattern | Checkout | M | H | P1 | Vision |
| ... |

8. Stakeholder Communication

Audit deliverable layers (most stakeholders read only the top):

# Design Audit — <project>

## TL;DR (5 lines max)
- Surfaces audited: ___
- Heuristic avg: ___ / 5
- WCAG 2.2 AA pass rate: ___ %
- Token drift: ___ %
- P1 issues: ___ items

## Top 3 risks
1. ____ (legal/UX/brand)
2. ____
3. ____

## Top 3 wins (preserve these)
1. ____
2. ____
3. ____

## Detailed findings
[full backlog table]

## Methodology
- Heuristics scored by ___
- WCAG checked with ___ tools
- Drift detected by ___

9. Common Pitfalls

10. Decision Walkthrough Template

Audit scope:
  Surfaces (≤ 10): ____
  Audit depth: heuristic / + WCAG / + drift / + competitive
  Output: scorecard / backlog / executive

Heuristic scores (1-5):
  H1 status: ___  H2 real-world: ___  H3 control: ___  H4 consistency: ___  H5 prevention: ___
  H6 recognition: ___  H7 flexibility: ___  H8 aesthetic: ___  H9 error: ___  H10 help: ___
  Avg: ___ → action class: cosmetic / targeted / systemic

WCAG 2.2 AA grid:
  Text contrast pass rate: ___ %
  UI contrast pass rate: ___ %
  Focus visible (2.4.7): ✓ / ✗
  Focus not obscured (2.4.11): ✓ / ✗
  Target size (2.5.8): ✓ / ✗
  Dragging movements (2.5.7): ✓ / ✗
  Consistent help (3.2.6): ✓ / ✗
  Redundant entry (3.3.7): ✓ / ✗
  Authentication (3.3.8): ✓ / ✗
  Keyboard nav: ✓ / ✗
  ADA Title II compliance status: compliant / at risk
  Overall pass rate: ___ %

Token drift:
  Hardcoded color: ___ %
  Hardcoded space: ___ %
  Hardcoded type: ___ %
  Total drift: ___ %  → < 5 healthy / 5-15 cleanup / > 15 systemic

Anti-pattern scan results:
  □ Component sprawl
  □ Atomic-rigidity in multi-brand
  □ Mixed paradigm
  □ Off-scale spacing
  □ Bloated type ramp
  □ Bloated palette
  □ Bloated shadows
  □ Unbounded z-index
  □ Modal-in-modal
  □ Loading without skeleton

Performance:
  LCP: ___s  CLS: ___  INP: ___ms

Backlog generated: ___ items
  P1: ___  P2: ___  P3: ___  P4: ___

Owners assigned: ✓ / ✗
Re-audit scheduled: <date>

Handoff:
  → Muse (token drift remediation)
  → Palette (WCAG fixes)
  → Builder (component fixes)
  → Beacon (performance regressions)
  → Canon[regulatory] / Canon (legal-risk findings)

11. References

• Nielsen Norman Group, 10 Usability Heuristics
• W3C WCAG 2.2 (October 2023, current AA standard)
• DOJ ADA Title II final rule (2026 compliance deadline)
• Core Web Vitals (Google)
• DTCG specification v2025.10
• Adrian Roselli on APCA / WCAG 3 status