refactor(design): centralize EMCN ownership decisions

Author: Bill Leoutsakos

.agents/skills/ship/SKILL.md

@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ When the user runs `/ship`:
 
 ## Committed design check
 
-When central EMCN sources, global styles, recipes or `@designAllow`/`@designProtect` metadata change, run the design diff check and review its central-system findings. The checker derives metadata independently from the base and proposed source; no generated artifact needs to be committed.
+When central EMCN sources, global styles, recipes or `packages/emcn/src/design-ownership.json` change, run the design diff check and review its central-system findings. The checker derives metadata independently from the base and proposed source; no generated artifact needs to be committed.
 
 During product UI work, run `bun run check:design --base origin/staging --working-tree` so staged, unstaged and nonignored new files are included. Review findings against EMCN and `globals.css`; explain intentional new Extras rather than weakening the checker. After committing and before **every push**, run this from the repository root with the repository-pinned Bun version:
 

.claude/rules/emcn-components.md

@@ -51,4 +51,4 @@ Color tokens and icon-size conventions are canonical in `.claude/rules/sim-styli
 
 ## Source-derived design contracts
 
-The diff check derives public API, styling, recipe and ownership facts from both source revisions; the full scan publishes current facts in `scan.json`. Ownership is derived from implementation; intentional customization belongs in component TSDoc (`@designAllow <slot> <CSS properties or policy groups>`, `@designProtect` for ownership that cannot be inferred). Review central source changes in the diff findings. Browser reports and captures remain local, outside the repository.
+The diff check derives public API, styling, recipe and ownership facts from both source revisions; the full scan publishes current facts in `scan.json`. Ownership is derived from implementation; exceptional customization and protection decisions belong in `packages/emcn/src/design-ownership.json` with a reason. Review central source changes in the diff findings. Browser reports and captures remain local, outside the repository.

.cursor/rules/emcn-components.mdc

@@ -52,4 +52,4 @@ Color tokens and icon-size conventions are canonical in `.claude/rules/sim-styli
 
 ## Source-derived design contracts
 
-The diff check derives public API, styling, recipe and ownership facts from both source revisions; the full scan publishes current facts in `scan.json`. Ownership is derived from implementation; intentional customization belongs in component TSDoc (`@designAllow <slot> <CSS properties or policy groups>`, `@designProtect` for ownership that cannot be inferred). Review central source changes in the diff findings. Browser reports and captures remain local, outside the repository.
+The diff check derives public API, styling, recipe and ownership facts from both source revisions; the full scan publishes current facts in `scan.json`. Ownership is derived from implementation; exceptional customization and protection decisions belong in `packages/emcn/src/design-ownership.json` with a reason. Review central source changes in the diff findings. Browser reports and captures remain local, outside the repository.

packages/emcn/src/AGENTS.md

@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@ Applies to `packages/emcn/**`. Read `.claude/rules/emcn-components.md` before ch
 - TSDoc for public components and APIs.
 
 Central component, recipe and icon changes are design-system decisions. Run `bun run check:design --base origin/staging --working-tree` (using the actual PR target as the base) and explain intended shared changes in the PR. Review warnings remain visible. See `scripts/design-conformance/README.md`.
+Exceptional styling permissions and protections belong in `packages/emcn/src/design-ownership.json`, not in component TSDoc. Ordinary component facts are discovered from source.

packages/emcn/src/components/banner/banner.tsx

@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ export interface BannerProps
   textClassName?: string
 }
 
-/** @designAllow textClassName typography */
 export function Banner({
   actionClassName,
   actionDisabled,

packages/emcn/src/components/button/button.tsx

@@ -84,11 +84,6 @@ export interface ButtonProps
   iconPadding?: VariantProps<typeof buttonVariants>['iconPadding']
 }
 
-/**
- * Consumers may stretch the button to their surrounding layout.
- * @designAllow className width
- * @designAllow style width
- */
 const Button = forwardRef<HTMLButtonElement, ButtonProps>(
   ({ className, variant, size, iconPadding, ...props }, ref) => {
     return (

packages/emcn/src/components/chip-input/chip-input.tsx

@@ -50,9 +50,6 @@ export interface ChipInputProps extends Omit<React.InputHTMLAttributes<HTMLInput
 /**
  * Forwards its ref to the inner `<input>` so callers can focus or measure the
  * field directly, exactly like a native input.
- * @designProtect className colours font-family font-size padding height gap border-radius borders box-shadow
- * @designProtect style colours font-family font-size padding height gap border-radius borders box-shadow
- * @designAllow inputClassName typography
  */
 export const ChipInput = React.forwardRef<HTMLInputElement, ChipInputProps>(
   (

packages/emcn/src/components/chip-modal/chip-modal.tsx

@@ -774,7 +774,6 @@ export type ChipModalFieldProps =
  * static permission list). For a multi-email chip-list input, prefer
  * `type='emails'` over a `type='custom'` `TagInput` wrapper — it internalizes
  * chip rendering, dedupe, format validation, paste, and Backspace handling.
- * @designProtect className colours typography padding height gap border-radius borders box-shadow flex-direction align-items justify-content
  */
 function ChipModalField(props: ChipModalFieldProps) {
   const id = React.useId()

packages/emcn/src/components/chip-textarea/chip-textarea.tsx

@@ -39,9 +39,7 @@ export interface ChipTextareaProps
   viewOnly?: boolean
 }
 
-/** Forwards its ref to the underlying `<textarea>`, exactly like a native textarea. * @designProtect className colours font-family font-size padding gap border-radius borders box-shadow
- * @designProtect style colours font-family font-size padding gap border-radius borders box-shadow
- */
+/** Forwards its ref to the underlying `<textarea>`, exactly like a native textarea. */
 export const ChipTextarea = React.forwardRef<HTMLTextAreaElement, ChipTextareaProps>(
   ({ className, error, resizable = false, viewOnly = false, readOnly, ...props }, ref) => (
     <textarea

packages/emcn/src/components/dropdown-menu/dropdown-menu.tsx

@@ -290,11 +290,6 @@ interface DropdownMenuContentProps
   onOpenAutoFocus?: (event: Event) => void
 }
 
-/**
- * Menu dimensions adapt to the consumer's content and viewport.
- * @designAllow className dimensions
- * @designAllow style dimensions
- */
 const DropdownMenuContent = React.forwardRef<
   React.ElementRef<typeof DropdownMenuPrimitive.Content>,
   DropdownMenuContentProps