Beautiful comps rarely survive contact with slow networks. We ask designer-engineer pairs to list seven UI states on paper before touching CSS.
The list sounds tedious; it prevents “surprise” spinners in week five reviews. Frontend mentors mark which states deserve automated tests versus manual checks.
We are not a visual branding programme. Typography tokens yes; logo polish no. The goal is shared language for edge cases that used to be shrug emojis in chat.
Alumni report shorter review cycles afterward — not because reviews are softer, but because expectations were named early.