design-handoff

Design Handoff

Create clear, complete handoff documentation so developers can implement designs accurately.

What to Include

Visual Specifications

• Exact measurements (padding, margins, widths)
• Design token references (colors, typography, spacing)
• Responsive breakpoints and behavior
• Component variants and states

Interaction Specifications

• Click/tap behavior
• Hover states
• Transitions and animations (duration, easing)
• Gesture support (swipe, pinch, long-press)

Content Specifications

• Character limits
• Truncation behavior
• Empty states
• Loading states
• Error states

Edge Cases

• Minimum/maximum content
• International text (longer strings)
• Slow connections
• Missing data

Accessibility

• Focus order
• ARIA labels and roles
• Keyboard interactions
• Screen reader announcements

Principles

1. Don't assume — If it's not specified, the developer will guess. Specify everything.
2. Use tokens, not values — Reference spacing-md not 16px.
3. Show all states — Default, hover, active, disabled, loading, error, empty.
4. Describe the why — "This collapses on mobile because users primarily use one-handed" helps developers make good judgment calls.