# Quality Gates > Quality Gates - Skill: `nickgallick/quality-gates` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add nickgallick/quality-gates` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/nickgallick/quality-gates/raw - Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: nickgallick (https://skillmd.com/u/nickgallick) - Updated: 2026-08-19 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/nickgallick/quality-gates --- # Quality Gates Every phase transition requires passing a quality gate. No gate may be skipped. If a gate fails, the project does not advance — fix the issue and re-check. Each gate is a checklist; every item must be checked before proceeding. --- ## Gate 1: Intake → Research Before sending Scout the research brief: - [ ] Nick's request is clearly understood — no ambiguous requirements remain. - [ ] Project scope is defined: Simple, Medium, or Complex. - [ ] All screens/pages are identified with names and descriptions. - [ ] Project file is created in `active-projects/` with the correct template. - [ ] Nick has been sent the intake confirmation with scope and screen list. - [ ] Brand context is identified (existing guidelines or "establish new"). **If gate fails:** Go back to Nick with specific clarifying questions. Do not guess. --- ## Gate 2: Research → Design Before sending Pixel the design brief: - [ ] Scout's research output is received and saved to the project file. - [ ] Research is 800+ words. - [ ] Research covers: Market Landscape, Competitor Analysis, ICP Profile, Strategic Recommendations. - [ ] No obvious gaps — all research questions from the brief are addressed. - [ ] Key findings are extracted for the Pixel brief (ICP summary, competitive insights, positioning). **If gate fails:** Send Scout a follow-up request specifying exactly what's missing or insufficient. Do not send Pixel a brief based on incomplete research. --- ## Gate 3: Design → Build Before sending Maks the build brief: - [ ] All screens in the project scope have been designed by Pixel. - [ ] Every screen has a Pixel-approved design (not draft or work-in-progress). - [ ] Every screen has a V0 Chat ID recorded. - [ ] Every screen has a V0 Preview URL recorded and accessible. - [ ] Design tokens are extracted and documented (colors, typography, spacing, border radius, shadows). - [ ] Edge states are designed for each screen: - [ ] Empty state (no data / first-time user) - [ ] Loading state (data being fetched) - [ ] Error state (something went wrong) - [ ] Overflow state (too much data / long text) - [ ] Accessibility considerations are documented: - [ ] Color contrast meets WCAG AA minimum. - [ ] Focus states are designed. - [ ] Screen reader flow is considered. - [ ] Handoff notes from Pixel are included with implementation guidance. - [ ] Component specs are documented (props, variants, behavior). **If gate fails:** Identify the specific missing items and send Pixel back the list. Do not proceed to build with incomplete or unapproved designs. --- ## Gate 4: Build → Review Before sending Forge the review request: - [ ] Maks has reported build complete. - [ ] Preview URL is deployed and accessible (verify by checking — don't trust a URL alone). - [ ] All screens specified in the design brief are built and visible in the preview. - [ ] Core functionality works (navigation, forms, interactions). - [ ] No build errors or console errors reported by Maks. - [ ] Preview URL and repository reference are saved to the project file. **If gate fails:** Send Maks the specific issues (missing screens, broken functionality, deployment not working). Do not send Forge a broken build to review. --- ## Gate 5: Review → QA Before running QA skills: - [ ] Forge has returned a verdict. - [ ] Forge's verdict is **Approved** or **Approved with notes** (not "Changes requested" or "Blocked"). - [ ] If "Approved with notes" — notes are logged in the project file for future iteration. - [ ] No P0 (critical/security) issues remain open. - [ ] All P1 issues from fix loops are resolved. - [ ] Fix loop count is logged in the project file. - [ ] Preview URL is still accessible after any fixes. **If gate fails:** If Forge's verdict is "Changes requested" or "Blocked," enter the fix loop. If P0 issues remain, they must be fixed before QA. --- ## Gate 6: QA → Launch Before deploying to production and sending Launch the go-to-market brief: - [ ] `nick-app-critic` has been run and returned a grade of **C+ or above**. - [ ] `nick-bug-triage` has been run and results are documented. - [ ] No P0 (blocking) bugs remain. - [ ] The build matches Pixel's design specs — visual comparison confirms alignment. - [ ] Edge states are handled: - [ ] Empty states display appropriate messaging/UI. - [ ] Loading states show feedback to the user. - [ ] Error states are caught and display user-friendly messages. - [ ] Overflow content is handled gracefully. - [ ] No blocking bugs that would prevent a user from completing core flows. - [ ] QA results are logged in the project file. **If gate fails:** Identify the specific failures: - Grade below C+ → Analyze the app-critic report, identify gaps, send Maks targeted fixes, re-QA. - P0 bugs → Send Maks the bug list with reproduction steps, fix, re-QA. - Design mismatch → Follow the design mismatch recovery playbook. - Edge states missing → Send Maks specific screens and states to implement, re-QA. --- ## Gate 7: Launch → Complete Before marking the project as complete and sending Nick the final report: - [ ] Production URL is live and accessible (verify directly). - [ ] Production matches the QA-verified preview (no regression from preview → production). - [ ] Launch agent has delivered go-to-market materials. - [ ] Project complete report is compiled with all sections filled: - [ ] What was delivered. - [ ] Production URL. - [ ] Screen count and list. - [ ] Forge's final verdict. - [ ] QA grade. - [ ] Launch plan summary. - [ ] Total elapsed time. - [ ] Nick has been sent the Project Complete report. - [ ] Project file is moved from `active-projects/` to `completed-projects/`. **If gate fails:** Do not report completion to Nick until everything checks out. If production deploy failed, follow the deploy failure playbook. If Launch materials are missing, nudge Launch.