alexe-ev Manage Design Handoff
Purpose
Help teams structure clean, efficient handoffs between product, design, and engineering that reduce rework and misalignment.
Skill type
Conceptual skill
Use this skill when
- Engineering is building things that don't match the design intent
- Design is handed off without clear context or requirements
- Iteration cycles are slow because feedback loops are unclear
- A new team is establishing handoff norms
Do not use this skill when
- The goal is usability testing (use run-usability-testing)
- Requirements haven't been written yet (use write-requirements-prd first)
Required inputs
- Feature or flow being handed off
- Teams involved (product, design, engineering)
Optional inputs
- Existing handoff process or tools
- Known pain points in current handoff
- Design files or prototype links
Upstream context
Works best when:
- Requirements are defined
- Design work is complete or in progress
Downstream handoff
Output can feed:
- plan-delivery-collaboration (delivery plan accounts for handoff checkpoints)
Instructions
- Define what a "complete" design handoff looks like for this context.
- Identify what documentation and assets must be included.
- Define the review and sign-off process.
- Establish iteration and feedback loop protocols.
- Identify common handoff failure modes and mitigations.
- Produce a handoff checklist.
Output
Provide:
- Handoff readiness criteria (what must be done before handoff)
- Required artifacts (specs, annotations, assets)
- Review and sign-off process
- Iteration protocol (how feedback goes back to design)
- Handoff checklist
- Common failure modes and mitigations
Risks / caveats
- Handoff is a two-way process — engineering must confirm understanding, not just receive files
- Incomplete handoffs create expensive rework cycles
- Tooling matters less than clear norms and checkpoints