Design Spec Template: Component-by-Component Tier Spec

Most design specs fail engineers for one of four reasons: user stories written for an imaginary ideal user, acceptance criteria that are opinions rather than tests, tier conflicts discovered after code is written, and unchanged components treated as self-explanatory. This template addresses all four. The Component Tracker gives every UI component in your subscription tier launch its own row — Design State (New/Modified/Unchanged), Spec Status (Draft → In Review → Approved → Handed Off), user story, acceptance criteria, edge case, implementation notes, and a Conflict Flag that blocks approval until resolved. Built from a real growth design methodology used to launch a premium subscription tier. Works for any SaaS product launching a new pricing tier above a freemium or base subscription.