Design Handoff Template for Agile Teams

After the design review is complete and stakeholders have approved the direction. Never hand off a design that is still being iterated on. The engineer will build the wrong thing and both teams will waste time. The [design review template](/templates/design-review-template) provides a framework for getting to approval.

Yes. The best handoffs are not surprises. Include the engineering lead in at least one design review so they understand the rationale behind decisions. Engineers who understand the "why" make better implementation trade-off decisions. Engineers who only see the "what" implement pixel-perfect mockups that miss the intent.

Small changes (copy edits, color tweaks) can be communicated via Figma comments. Significant changes (new states, layout changes, added interactions) require an updated handoff document and a 15-minute walkthrough. If designs change frequently after handoff, the problem is usually that the design review process is not catching issues early enough. Use the [design brief](/templates/design-brief-template) to align on constraints before design starts.

Specify duration (milliseconds), easing function (ease-in, ease-out, ease-in-out, or a cubic-bezier value), and the property being animated (opacity, transform, height). Engineers should not have to guess. If the animation is complex (staggered list items, physics-based springs), record a video reference or provide a prototype. Always note that animations should respect `prefers-reduced-motion` for [accessibility](/glossary/accessibility).

Flag it as an open question in the handoff doc. The designer and engineer should agree on one of three approaches: (1) extend an existing component with a new variant, (2) build a one-off for this feature (tech debt, should be rare), or (3) add a new component to the design system (requires design system team review). Document the decision so future teams know whether this component is reusable. ---