jobtrackingapp/docs/redesign/FUNCTIONAL_GUARDRAILS.md

Functional Guardrails

Purpose

The redesign must preserve existing functionality while allowing the UX and frontend architecture to change substantially.

Rule 1 — Inventory before redesign

Before major implementation work begins, create an explicit inventory of:

• routes,
• pages,
• dialogs,
• forms,
• workflows,
• API calls,
• state transitions,
• authentication flows,
• localisation behaviour,
• permissions,
• user settings,
• admin capabilities,
• document workflows,
• AI actions,
• mobile/responsive behaviour,
• tests.

Rule 2 — No silent feature removal

A feature discovered during the inventory must not disappear merely because it does not fit the new design.

It must be one of:

• preserved,
• relocated,
• merged into another workflow,
• intentionally deprecated with an explicit documented decision.

Rule 3 — Protect backend contracts

Do not change backend/API contracts purely to make frontend work easier unless there is a clear architectural reason.

Any required contract change must be documented and tested.

Rule 4 — Add regression protection

Before replacing high-risk UI flows, add or strengthen tests around their functional behaviour.

Prioritise:

• authentication,
• registration,
• Career Profile,
• job creation/import/edit/status,
• CV creation/edit/export,
• document relationships,
• AI review/apply flow,
• localisation,
• permissions/admin boundaries.

Rule 5 — Preserve user data

Frontend redesign work must not change the meaning or ownership of stored user data without an explicit migration.

Rule 6 — Career Profile remains canonical

Any redesign of CV/application flows must preserve the distinction between:

• Career Profile source data,
• CV-specific overrides,
• generated output.

Rule 7 — AI cannot bypass review

No redesign may introduce an AI action that silently writes career claims into user data.

Rule 8 — Maintain localisation

New components and screens must support both English and Norwegian.

Do not hard-code user-facing strings in new components if the current architecture supports localisation.

Rule 9 — Maintain access controls

Admin-only features must remain permission-gated.

User-level dashboard customisation and job/document data must remain tenant/user scoped.

Rule 10 — Visual QA is part of completion

A feature is not complete when tests pass but the responsive UI is broken.

Each migrated area should be inspected in:

• light mode,
• dark mode,
• desktop,
• mobile,
• English,
• Norwegian.

Pre-redesign checkpoint

Before full redesign implementation:

1. Finish current functional work.
2. Run tests.
3. Resolve known critical regressions.
4. Commit a stable baseline.
5. Create a tag or branch checkpoint such as pre-ui-redesign.
6. Create a redesign branch such as feature/ui-redesign.