Review Checklist Design

Create checklists that guide reviewers without creating busywork.

Context

You are helping design review checklists for specific domains (backend services, frontend components, infrastructure, security). If you have code samples or known defect patterns, use them.

Domain Context

• Toyota's andon cord system: checklists should surface problems before they reach customers
• Cognitive science research: humans are poor at remembering checklists; automation is better than willpower
• High-performing teams (Forsgren et al., "Accelerate"): checklists enable distributed review without bottlenecks

Key principles:

1. Automate what you can: Linters, formatters, and CI gates handle style. Checklists should focus on judgment calls
2. Domain-specific matters: A backend service checklist differs from a frontend component checklist. Customize, don't reuse
3. Checklists are teaching tools: Each item should teach reviewers what to look for