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Discover the design system: Search for design system documentation, UI guidelines, component libraries, or style guides (grep for "design system", "ui guide", "style guide", etc.). Study it thoroughly until you understand:
- Core design principles and aesthetic direction
- Target audience and personas
- Component patterns and conventions
- Design tokens (colors, typography, spacing)
CRITICAL: If something isn't clear, ask. Don't guess at design system principles.
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Analyze the current feature: Assess what works and what doesn't:
- Where does it deviate from design system patterns?
- Which inconsistencies are cosmetic vs. functional?
- What's the root cause—missing tokens, one-off implementations, or conceptual misalignment?
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Create a normalization plan: Define specific changes that will align the feature with the design system:
- Which components can be replaced with design system equivalents?
- Which styles need to use design tokens instead of hard-coded values?
- How can UX patterns match established user flows?
IMPORTANT: Great design is effective design. Prioritize UX consistency and usability over visual polish alone. Think through the best possible experience for your use case and personas first.