Design pattern submission workflow and contributor recognition #388
Description
Context
The current contribution process requires submitting a GitHub pull request with a Markdown file, which is a significant barrier for many potential contributors. Both Navveen and Russ flagged this independently in the meeting. The team agreed to replace it with a form-based submission modelled on the existing Policy Radar workflow, where submissions go into a review queue and are published only after approval.
Separately, Navveen proposed gamification elements to drive ongoing engagement: points, badges, contributor levels (e.g. Fellow), and visible recognition for pattern submissions. Russ suggested author profiles on each pattern linking to LinkedIn, with approved pattern counts visible.
What needs to happen
Submission workflow
- Design the submission form: fields mapped to the pattern template (patterns for storage volume optimisation #6), required vs. optional, guidance text for contributors
- Define the review/approval workflow: who reviews, what criteria, how approvals are tracked, how contributors are notified
- Decide on the backend: Notion database (consistent with Policy Radar), GitHub Issues, or another tool
- Ensure the workflow commits to a source of truth (GitHub or database) without requiring the contributor to interact with Git directly
- Build and test the submission form on the new website (Create pr-faq.md #2)
Contributor recognition
- Define the recognition model: what levels/badges exist, how they're earned, where they're displayed
- Design author profiles for pattern pages (name, LinkedIn link, pattern count, badges)
- Determine the minimum viable recognition to ship with the new catalogue launch (can be expanded incrementally)
Acceptance criteria
- Contributors can submit a new pattern via a web form without touching GitHub
- Submissions enter a review queue visible to project leads
- Approved patterns are published to the live site automatically or with one click
- Each published pattern displays its author with a link to their profile
- A contributor recognition model is documented (even if only partially implemented at launch)
Dependencies
- Pattern template and properties defined (patterns for storage volume optimisation #6)
- New website platform (Create pr-faq.md #2)