Hire an AI design system change and migration planner

Everything it can hand back

Your task sets the actual outputs. The specialist picks the methods that cover them.

• A change inventory listing each component, where it is used, and whether differences are on purpose or drift
• Target patterns and a replacement rule for every old pattern, with each variant kept or dropped on the record
• A list of breaking changes with the affected components and owners
• A staged migration brief with owners, training and visual checks for each stage
• Open questions that need a person's decision before work starts

How it does the job well

• Start from the user's task and the content, then the layout. Decoration comes last.
• Design every state: empty, loading, error, long text and mobile.
• Keep one visual system. Reuse spacing, type and colour tokens instead of one-off values.
• Check text contrast (at least 4.5:1 for body text) and keyboard focus as you go.

Mistakes it avoids

• Counting usage in code you were not shown.
• Dropping a variant without listing it and why.
• Calling a rule confirmed when the user has not confirmed it.
• Planning a stage that needs something a later stage delivers.
• Designing only the happy path at desktop width.
• Copying a reference's logo, text or claims instead of learning from its structure.

What a good result looks like

An example, not your task: You are moving from a home-grown set of styles to a shared design system and need a plan.

• Change inventory. Each component in use, where, and whether a difference is deliberate or drift.
• Replacement rules. A target pattern for each old one, with variants kept or dropped and why.
• Breaking changes. What breaks for each affected component, and who owns the fix.
• Migration brief. Stages with owners, training, visual checks and what done means for each stage.
• Open questions. Decisions a person must make before work starts, such as which variants to drop.

How the work is checked

• Every screen has its states, breakpoints and interactions written down.
• Colour pairs and type sizes pass the stated contrast checks.
• The handoff names components, tokens and open questions.
• States which checks passed, failed or could not run, and names missing inputs.

These checks have not been run against a model yet. Your AI uses them to check its own work.

A second opinion

Before it hands back, your AI reviews the draft the way Neville Brody would. This is a way of reviewing the work. It does not mean they wrote or endorse it.

Capabilities

• Design system auditor. Lists the components and styles in use and finds near-copies and clashes. Separates deliberate exceptions from accidental drift. Hands step 2 the inventory. Check before moving on, each row names where the component is used.
• Design rules file writer. Writes the target patterns and the replacement rule for each old pattern, from your components and step 1's inventory. Keeps every variant unless the rule says it is dropped and why. Hands step 3 the rules and the breaking changes. Check before moving on, every old pattern has a rule or is marked MISSING.
• Change rollout planner. Takes step 2's rules as the list of what changes and plans the move in stages with owners, training and acceptance checks. Keeps the dependencies found in the audit in view, so a stage never needs something a later stage delivers. Hands back the migration brief. Check before moving on, each breaking change lands in a stage with an owner.

How the role works

1. Checks your task, context and available tools.
2. Picks the methods needed and prepares a work plan.
3. Carries out supported tasks, with each method's limits and review gates.
4. Checks the real deliverables and corrects supported faults.
5. Hands back files, evidence and unresolved gaps.

Your specialist's working setup

Download the base specialist without a task form or account. README.md and SETUP.md explain how to use the folder. SOUL.md defines its scope. INTAKE.md asks missing questions inside your AI. PLAYBOOK.md, SKILLS.md, BEST_PRACTICES.md, CHECKS.md and HANDOFF.md guide the work and its checked deliverables.

Complete associated skills, supporting files and licences are included. Choose only the methods needed for the actual task. Keep context, working files and accepted feedback in your AI project.

Use this specialist through MCP or the API

Call prepare_specialist with role_id prepare-a-design-system-migration only. No task is required to load it. Your AI asks what job you need done, what you want back and which relevant context it can use.

For task-led hiring, call find_specialist, explain the suggested specialists and let the user accept or change the team.

Complete ZIP: Download base specialist. API: GET /api/v1/specialists/prepare-a-design-system-migration/pack. The host AI supplies its own model, tools and execution; a pack does not connect accounts or run a task.

Inputs and helpful context

The specialist starts from the task brief. Only active methods require their inputs.

For the primary method, when used

• Your current components and where they are used, as code, a Figma file or a list
• The planned changes, such as the new system's component list or a changelog
• The platforms you support, such as web, iOS and Android
• Release dates and freeze periods you must work around
• Who owns each product or team (optional)

Helpful context (optional)

• Approved examples of a good result.
• A named reviewer and their acceptance rules.

Tools and access

• A capable chat AI with file support: Read the full pack and supplied sources; connected actions need the corresponding authorized tools.

Functions and deliverables

• Design system change and migration planner: Share current components, proposed changes and release limits. Get a change list, replacement rules and a staged adoption plan.
  • A change inventory listing each component, where it is used, and whether differences are on purpose or drift
  • Target patterns and a replacement rule for every old pattern, with each variant kept or dropped on the record
  • A list of breaking changes with the affected components and owners
  • A staged migration brief with owners, training and visual checks for each stage
  • Open questions that need a person's decision before work starts
• Design system reviewer: Share components and style rules. Check consistency, document variants and states, or propose a new pattern that fits the system.
  • Audit list of inconsistencies
  • Component documentation with variants
  • Design for a new pattern
  • Fixes for naming and tokens
  Source: Anthropic.
• Project design rules writer: Share your project. Document the colours, type, spacing and components it uses in a DESIGN.md file, with conflicts left as open questions.
  • DESIGN.md file at the project root
  • Colour, type and spacing lists
  • Component rules
  • Things to avoid
  Source: sickn33.
• Change rollout planner: Describe a re-org or tool switch. Get a rollout plan, message templates and a plan for pushback.
  • A stage-by-stage rollout plan
  • Message templates for each group
  • Answers to likely pushback
  • Ways to keep the change in place
  Source: Alireza Rezvani.
• Brand profile builder: Share your website. Get a reusable profile covering your products, customers, voice and approved claims, with sources.
  • A folder of eight plain files, from a start file for your AI to a claims list and a change log
  • A tag on every fact, and every claim marked approved, pending or banned
  • A two-sentence diagnosis of your biggest gap, and a list of what's missing and who can answer it
  • A short slice for your next step, if you name one
• Neville Brody: Review type, branding or page layout using Neville Brody’s recorded approach. Question defaults, use space with purpose and test a clearer visual voice.
  • Your problem worked on the way Neville Brody would: their questions, their method, their push-back
  • The answer or the work, in Neville Brody's voice, using their ideas by name
  • Anything that goes beyond their public record, marked
  • One suggested next step

Tasks you can use it for

• You are moving from a home-grown set of styles to a shared design system and need a plan.
• A new brand look means changing buttons, forms and colors across several products.
• You are upgrading to a new major version of your component library and some parts will break.
• Two teams use different versions of the same components and need one agreed target.

Limits to check before starting

• One component needs fixing and no migration is planned. Use the Design system reviewer on its own.
• You need new tokens built from one brand color. Use the Design token and handoff builder.
• You want to watch for drift every month after the move. Use the Design rule consistency reviewer.
• The change is about people and process, not components. Use the Change rollout planner on its own.

Best way to use this role

Give it one clear outcome, the actual files and a definition of done. Keep the work in one AI project so it can reuse checked context and earlier files.

• Download the workflow pack and add it to your AI, such as Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini. An AI that can read your code files gives the best inventory. Without it, paste component lists.
• Attach what you have: component files or list, the list of planned changes, platforms and release dates.
• After step 1, read the inventory with your team. Mark each difference as on purpose or drift.
• After step 2, confirm the target patterns and each dropped variant. The AI marks unconfirmed ones as proposed.
• After step 3, check each stage has an owner and a visual check. Fill every MISSING line before the plan goes out.

Read it as data

Read the complete role setup as JSON. Connect your AI to the AI Blocks MCP library and read aiblocks://roles/prepare-a-design-system-migration for its role instructions and pinned sources.

This is a prepared AI role. No task has run. Your AI carries out authorized work using its available tools and reports the actual deliverables and checks.