jobtrackingapp/docs/redesign/IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md

Implementation Plan

Strategy

Do not rewrite the entire frontend in one uncontrolled change.

Use a phased migration with explicit checkpoints.

Phase 0 — Finish product functionality

Before the visual/UX redesign begins:

• finish current functional changes,
• avoid spending excessive time polishing legacy visual styling,
• stabilise backend/data-model behaviour,
• run tests,
• create a pre-redesign checkpoint.

Phase 1 — Audit

No broad design changes.

Inspect and document:

• frontend framework and build setup,
• current styling solution,
• component libraries,
• routing,
• state management,
• authentication,
• localisation,
• API integration,
• test setup,
• every current feature and workflow.

Deliverables:

• technical frontend audit,
• functionality inventory,
• route/page map,
• component inventory,
• risk list,
• proposed migration approach.

Phase 2 — Functional baseline

Add or improve regression coverage around critical workflows before changing them.

Deliverables:

• stable baseline tests,
• known failing tests documented,
• explicit protected-functionality checklist.

Phase 3 — UX architecture

Define the target product shell and information architecture.

Deliverables:

• sidebar structure,
• page hierarchy,
• route migration plan,
• job workflow,
• Career Profile workflow,
• CV workflow,
• dashboard architecture,
• contextual AI pattern,
• responsive interaction model.

Avoid large implementation until this architecture is coherent.

Phase 4 — Design system foundation

Implement shared tokens/components:

• colour tokens,
• typography,
• spacing,
• radii,
• shadows,
• motion,
• light/dark themes,
• form controls,
• buttons,
• tables,
• dialogs/drawers,
• empty/loading/error states,
• page layout primitives.

The agent may replace the current UI/component layer if doing so materially improves maintainability and consistency.

Phase 5 — Representative screens

Implement only the most representative areas first:

1. App shell/sidebar
2. Dashboard
3. Jobs workspace
4. Job detail
5. CV builder

Use these to validate the design language before migrating the entire application.

Phase 6 — Review checkpoint

Before broad rollout, inspect:

• consistency,
• usability,
• density,
• dark mode,
• mobile,
• Norwegian localisation,
• AI patterns,
• component reuse,
• performance.

Fix system-level issues now rather than replicating them across every page.

Phase 7 — Full migration

Migrate remaining areas, including:

• authentication,
• onboarding,
• Career Profile,
• CV library,
• Documents,
• application/cover-letter workflows,
• Analytics,
• Notifications,
• Settings,
• Admin,
• error pages,
• empty states,
• remaining dialogs and forms.

Phase 8 — Dashboard customisation

Implement per-user dashboard configuration:

• visibility,
• ordering,
• resizing where supported,
• reset defaults,
• persistence.

Admin dashboard remains separate.

Phase 9 — QA

Run:

• automated regression tests,
• visual inspection,
• responsive inspection,
• keyboard/accessibility checks,
• English/Norwegian checks,
• light/dark checks,
• empty/large-data edge cases,
• document/CV pagination checks.

Phase 10 — Cleanup

Remove only genuinely obsolete legacy UI code after:

• confirming no route still uses it,
• confirming tests pass,
• confirming functionality inventory is satisfied.

Branching recommendation

Suggested:

• stable branch/tag: pre-ui-redesign
• working branch: feature/ui-redesign

Use smaller commits grouped by system/component or migrated workflow.