diff --git a/DESIGN.md b/DESIGN.md
index 68f6352..04f5bd2 100644
--- a/DESIGN.md
+++ b/DESIGN.md
@@ -57,3 +57,9 @@ changes. References: ../reference/{crush,maki}; siblings to port:
 - Quota: grinder turns only, no idle polling loops, compact aggressively.
 - Never log secret values; keys from bitwarden at runtime.
 - Everything it does lands in git (tooling repos) or Redmine (work records).
+
+## Parity target (Charles, 2026-08-28 ~18:45)
+Harness aims for crush FEATURE PARITY on the agent core: tool calling,
+subagents (weak/medium/strong tiers), MCP client, sessions/resume, skills.
+v1 skeleton (tonight) = the headless subset; parity items land in ordered
+phases after the pilot. TUI explicitly stays out of scope.