Desk checks for portal slices without drowning in widgets

Portal desk checks should answer whether a visitor can finish a task in one calm path, not whether every widget variant exists. We ask builders to read copy aloud, tab through focus order, and confirm error strings match the operational story.

When a slice fails desk check, we freeze feature additions. Adding widgets mid-review trains stakeholders to expect churn, which erodes trust faster than missing polish.

After desk check passes, we record a five-minute async walkthrough. That recording becomes the reference artifact for distributed teams who cannot attend live sessions.