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project-checklist.md

✅ Master Project Checklist

This checklist helps ensure product, design, and engineering consistency when implementing a new feature or updating the project. It combines product requirements, design, code, testing, and operational best practices.

📄 Product Requirements (PRD)

  • Problem statement and product vision are clearly defined
  • Goals and success criteria (OKRs/KPIs) are documented
  • Target audience and user personas are included
  • User stories and acceptance criteria are written
  • Feature list is prioritized (must-have / nice-to-have / out of scope)
  • Functional requirements are detailed (inputs, outputs, workflows)
  • Non-functional requirements are listed (performance, scalability, accessibility, compliance)
  • Dependencies and external integrations are documented
  • Risks, assumptions, and constraints are identified
  • Metrics and analytics requirements are defined (e.g., GA events, dashboards)
  • Release / rollout strategy is documented (feature flags, phased rollout, A/B testing)
  • Stakeholders and ownership are documented
  • PRD has been reviewed and approved by stakeholders

🎨 Design & UI/UX

  • Color palette is defined and documented
  • Typography rules (font sizes, weights, hierarchy) are documented
  • Spacing and layout grid system are defined
  • Component library / design system is updated (e.g., Storybook, Figma components)
  • Iconography set is consistent and documented
  • Dark mode / accessibility (WCAG compliance) is reviewed
  • Responsive design rules are applied and tested
  • Visual consistency across pages/components is verified
  • Branding guidelines (logos, assets) are up to date
  • Design tokens (colors, typography, spacing) are exported to code if applicable
  • Accessibility audit (contrast ratios, keyboard navigation, ARIA labels) is completed
  • Usability testing feedback is reviewed and incorporated
  • Design review and approval workflow is completed (Figma/Sketch sign-off)

🔧 Code Quality & Versioning

  • README.md is updated
  • CHANGELOG.md is updated
  • Commit messages follow Conventional Commits
  • pre-commit hook is configured and working:
    • Linter (e.g., ESLint, Pylint)
    • Formatter (e.g., Prettier, Black)
    • Static Analyzer (e.g., SonarQube, Bandit)
  • .editorconfig file exists and is configured
  • .gitignore file excludes sensitive and build-related files
  • CODEOWNERS file is set (if team collaboration is required)
  • CONTRIBUTING.md is available and updated
  • LICENSE file is present and correct

⚙️ Build & Deployment

  • Makefile is up to date
  • Dockerfile(s) are updated
  • docker-compose.yaml is valid and up to date
  • .env.example is created/updated with new environment variables
  • Kubernetes manifests are updated (deployment.yaml, service.yaml, etc.)
  • Release version number is updated according to Semantic Versioning
  • CI/CD pipelines are updated (.github/workflows, .gitlab-ci.yml, etc.)
  • All builds succeed without errors
  • Rollback strategy and hotfix procedure are defined
  • Release notes are written and published

🧪 Testing

  • Unit tests are added or updated
  • Integration tests are added or updated
  • HTTP API tests (e.g., Hurl, Postman) are updated
  • Load/performance tests are included (e.g., k6, Artillery)
  • Security testing is performed (e.g., OWASP ZAP, snyk)
  • Code coverage report is generated
  • Coverage threshold is met
  • Edge cases and error handling are tested

📚 Documentation

  • Project documentation (e.g., MkDocs) is updated
  • Swagger / OpenAPI spec is up to date
  • System design diagrams (e.g., mermaid, PlantUML) are updated
  • Database ER diagrams are updated
  • ADR (Architectural Decision Record) files are written for major changes
  • Product Requirements Document (PRD) is finalized and linked
  • UI/UX documentation (e.g., Figma, user flow diagrams) is updated
  • Support documentation (FAQs, internal guides) is updated

🧬 Data & Database

  • Database migrations are created and tested
  • Seed data is updated if required
  • Schema representation (DBML, Prisma, Drizzle, etc.) is updated
  • Indexes and constraints are documented
  • Sample anonymized test data is available

📊 Analytics & Metrics

  • Analytics events are defined and tracked (e.g., GA, Segment, Mixpanel)
  • Logging for business KPIs (conversion, retention, engagement) is in place
  • Error tracking and crash reporting are configured (e.g., Sentry, Datadog)
  • Post-release monitoring plan is documented (dashboards, alerts)

🔐 Security & Compliance

  • Dependency audits are run (npm audit, pip-audit, etc.)
  • Secrets and credentials are not hardcoded or committed
  • .env.example matches .gitignore protection
  • GDPR / data privacy compliance is reviewed (if applicable)
  • Security headers and CORS policies are reviewed
  • Auth, rate limiting, and permission rules are tested

🧠 Other Considerations

  • Feature flags are documented
  • Internationalization (i18n) strings are updated
  • Logging strategy and levels are reviewed
  • Monitoring and alerting are configured (e.g., Prometheus, Sentry)
  • Ownership of the feature/module is documented
  • Stakeholder approvals are logged

Use this master checklist before release to ensure stability, maintainability, and production-readiness across product, design, and engineering.

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