Integration is the final stage. Although development and QA test components weekly, integration consolidates all deployments into a cohesive, stable release.
This stage ensures:
— components work together as intended
— behaviours match the defined mental model
— layouts and content models function correctly
— data flows are valid and compliant
— accessibility and responsiveness meet expectations
— all acceptance criteria are met end-to-end
Design collaborates closely with engineering and QA to close gaps, clarify edge cases, or resolve inconsistencies. This stage often reveals the final set of alignment tasks that ensure quality before launch.
Integration ends with a production-ready release: the complete proposition informed by validated learning, cross-functional collaboration, systematic documentation, and iterative design.
