1. Purpose
To establish a clear contribution workflow that allows designers to propose new components or updates without creating duplication, drift, or broken libraries.
2. Why This Matters
- Without control → everyone edits the library → chaos.
- Too much control → system becomes rigid, slow to evolve.
- Controlled contribution = balance of flexibility + governance.
3. Contribution Levels (RACI)
| Role | Permissions | Examples |
| Junior Designer | Can propose changes, cannot publish | Suggest new state for Input field |
| Mid/Senior Designer | Can create components in sandbox, submit for review | Draft new Card variant |
| Design Lead | Can review, approve, and publish changes | Approves Button v1.4 update |
| Design Ops | Maintains logs, versions, governance | Updates Component Review Log |
| Dev Lead | Reviews feasibility for code parity | Approves new Dropdown structure |
| QA Lead | Validates accessibility + consistency | Checks contrast + states before publish |
4. Contribution Workflow
- Proposal
- Designer raises request in Contribution Log (Doc 10.8).
- Must include: Problem statement, screenshots, Figma draft, expected impact.
- Sandbox Build
- Designer creates draft in sandbox (not master).
- Follows tokens + naming conventions.
- Peer Review
- Peer validates with Component Consistency Checklist (Doc 4.7).
- Logs findings in Contribution Log.
- Lead Review
- Design Lead checks alignment with system + business needs.
- Approves or rejects.
- Dev & QA Review (if needed)
- Dev Lead confirms feasibility, QA validates accessibility.
- Publish
- Approved component merged into Master Library (Doc 10.5).
- Tagged with new version (vX.Y).
- Migration instructions shared if replacing/deprecating.
- Log & Notify
- Component Review Log (Doc 10.8) updated.
- Team notified with changelog.
5. Guardrails
- No direct edits to master library without review cycle.
- Breaking changes (impact = High) require migration plan + dev sync.
- Duplicates → reject; must be merged or converted into a variant.
- One sprint rule → all deprecated components must be swapped out within 1 sprint.
- Contribution freeze → during major releases, contributions paused until handoff is complete.
6. Example Scenario
- Designer wants new “Success Toast” component.
- Logs proposal → sandbox build → peer review.
- Design Lead + Dev Lead approve → published as
Toast/Success v1.0. - Old workaround “Alert/Success hack” deprecated → migration table shared.
- Review Log updated, consumers notified.
7. Usage Notes
- Store contribution requests in Contribution Log with status (Proposed, In Review, Approved, Rejected, Published).
- Review contribution model quarterly → adjust roles as team scales.
- Ensure contribution model is communicated to all new hires.
Outcome: Design system evolves in a controlled, scalable, and collaborative way → no chaos, no bottlenecks, just a healthy contribution pipeline.