What is the design-review-process skill?
The design-review-process skill is a SKILL.md in the design-ops plugin of Owl-Listener's designer-skills repository. It has an AI coding agent define 4 gates, five review criteria and a five step approval workflow, scaled to project size and risk, so quality holds without slowing the team down.
The design-review-process skill sits in the design-ops plugin of Owl-Listener's designer-skills pack. It casts the agent as an expert in review processes that maintain quality without slowing teams down, built from clear gates, criteria and workflows.
Its description names the trigger: work ships without consistent review. For running one individual session it points to design-critique, so this skill sets up the process and design-critique runs one individual session.
The four gates
- Gate 1, concept review: problem defined, needs backed by research, multiple concepts explored, strategic alignment confirmed, stakeholder input gathered.
- Gate 2, design review: brand standards met, interaction patterns consistent, responsive behavior defined, content strategy applied, design system components used (see the design system skill).
- Gate 3, pre-handoff review: all states designed, edge cases addressed, accessibility requirements met (see the accessibility audit skill), handoff specs complete (see the design handoff skill), developer walkthrough done.
- Gate 4, implementation QA: design matches the spec, interactions work, responsive behavior verified, accessibility tested, cross-browser and device checked.
Criteria and approvals
Five review criteria ask whether the work solves the user problem, fits the design system, is accessible to WCAG AA, covers all states and edge cases, and is feasible to implement. Approval runs self-review, peer review, lead sign-off, stakeholders and developer acceptance.
Who the design-review-process skill is for
Best for
- Teams whose work ships without a consistent review step.
- Design leads who want checklists that make reviews objective, and time-boxed reviews that avoid endless cycles.
- Projects that need the review process scaled to size and risk, since not every project needs every gate.
Not for
- Running one critique session. For that, use the design critique skill.
How to install Design Review Process Skill: Gates and Approvals
/plugin marketplace add Owl-Listener/designer-skillsAdd the marketplace
Enter the command above in your AI coding agent. It points the agent at the repository, and no plugin installs at this stage.
Install the plugin
Run
/plugin install design-ops@designer-skills. design-ops is the plugin that holds this skill, and the Discover tab under/pluginoffers the same choice.Gemini CLI route
Each plugin is also a Gemini CLI extension. Clone the repository to a temporary folder, create
.gemini/extensionsin your project root, and copy the repository's.gemini/extensionscontents into it.Describe your team
Tell the agent your project size, team roles and where work currently skips review. It sets up the gates and the approval flow around that.
Check that it loaded
Ask the agent to set up a design review process. Expect four numbered gates with checklists, a list of review criteria and an approval workflow.
Key features
- Four gatesConcept review, design review, pre-handoff review and implementation QA each have their own checklist of conditions to pass.
- Concept gateChecks that the problem is defined, user needs are supported by research, multiple concepts were explored, strategy is aligned and stakeholder input is gathered.
- Design gateChecks brand standards, interaction consistency, responsive behavior, content strategy and use of design system components.
- Pre-handoff gateChecks that empty, loading, error and success states exist, edge cases are covered, accessibility requirements are met, handoff specs are complete and a developer walkthrough happened.
- Implementation QA gateChecks that the build matches the specification, interactions work, responsive behavior and accessibility are verified, and cross-browser and device coverage is done.
- Five review criteriaDoes it solve the user problem, fit the design system, meet WCAG AA, cover states and edge cases, and prove feasible to implement?
- Approval workflowDesigner self-review, peer review, design lead sign-off, stakeholder approval if required, then developer acceptance.
- Scaled to riskThe skill states that not every project needs every gate, so the process scales with project size and risk.
- Objective, time-boxed reviewsChecklists make reviews objective, time-boxing prevents endless cycles, and review decisions and rationale are documented.
Frequently asked questions
What is the design-review-process skill?
It is a SKILL.md in the design-ops plugin of Owl-Listener's designer-skills repository. It has an AI coding agent establish review gates, criteria and an approval flow, so design quality stays consistent without slowing the team down. Its description says to use it when work ships without consistent review.
How do I install design-review-process?
Run /plugin marketplace add Owl-Listener/designer-skills, then /plugin install design-ops@designer-skills. The skill is part of the design-ops plugin. You can also pick the plugin from the Discover tab under /plugin, and Gemini CLI users can copy the repository's extensions folder. The design-ops plugin also ships /design-ops:setup-workflow, which sets up a team's operating rhythm with rituals, task flow, tooling, review gates and version control.
What are the four design review gates?
Gate 1 is concept review, Gate 2 is design review, Gate 3 is pre-handoff review and Gate 4 is implementation QA. Each gate has its own checklist, moving from problem definition and research through brand and system fit, state coverage and handoff specs to a build that matches the specification.
Does every project need all four gates?
No. The skill's best practices say not every project needs every gate and to scale the process to project size and risk. It also recommends checklists to keep reviews objective and time-boxed reviews to prevent endless cycles. The approval workflow also lists stakeholder approval only if required.
What is the approval workflow in design-review-process?
The workflow has five steps: designer self-review against the checklist, peer design review, design lead sign-off, stakeholder approval if required, and developer acceptance. Review decisions and rationale are documented Not every project needs every gate, so the approval flow scales with project size and risk.
What license does design-review-process use?
It is MIT licensed, as is the whole Owl-Listener/designer-skills repository. The pack holds 273 skills and 76 commands across 33 plugins, and design-review-process is one of the skills in the design-ops plugin. The nine design practice plugins, design-ops among them, ship from this repository.
When should I use design-review-process instead of design-critique?
Use design-review-process when work ships without consistent review and you need gates, criteria and an approval flow, with four gates from concept review to implementation QA. Its description points to design-critique for running one individual session. This skill sets up the process and design-critique runs one individual session.