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This is a starting point, not a contract. Adapt it to what the work needs.

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What this is for

Every team accumulates design debt. A state that never got designed. A pattern that made sense at the time and doesn't anymore. A component that works but contradicts itself across three screens. Debt isn't a failure, it's evidence that the product is moving.

The problem isn't accumulation. It's when nobody has a way to see it, name it, or decide what to do about it. This process gives the team a shared place to log inconsistencies when they're spotted, and a lightweight structure for deciding what's worth fixing.

Part 1: The Living Log

Add to this whenever you notice something. You don't need to have a solution. You just need to name it.

Rough impact guide:

• Low — inconsistency is visible but doesn't affect usability or development
• Medium — causes friction for users or creates extra work for developers
• High — actively confusing, breaks a pattern users rely on, or blocks design system progress

Part 2: Periodic Review

Run this once a month or once a sprint, whichever fits the team's rhythm. It doesn't need to be a formal meeting. A 20-minute async review works fine.

The goal is to look at the log and make a conscious decision about each item: fix it now, schedule it, or accept it and move on. The worst outcome is leaving things in a state of unacknowledged limbo.

Review questions:

• What's been sitting in the log longest? Does it still matter?
• Has anything moved from Low to High impact as the product evolved?
• Is there a cluster of related items that would be faster to fix together?