UX-to-Dev Handoff

This guidance page outlines best practices for the hand-off process between UX designers and developers using Figma. It includes clear steps, and dos and don'ts. By following these guidelines, our UX and development teams can work collaboratively to create cohesive, user-centered products.

1. Collaborate Early & Often
   • Involve Developers Early: Include developers in the design process from the beginning to get their input and understand technical constraints.
      
   • Regular Check-Ins: Schedule regular meetings to discuss progress, address concerns, and align on expectations.
      
   • Be Available: Recognizing that no communication is perfect the first time, expect questions after hand-off and be ready to make yourself available for developer questions.
     
      
2. Clear Documentation in Figma
   • Design Specifications: Use Figma to provide detailed design specifications, including colors, typography, spacing, and interactions.
      
   • Annotated Designs: Annotate your Figma designs to explain the rationale behind design decisions and highlight key elements.
      
   • User Flows and Wireframes: Share user flows and wireframes in Figma to provide context for how screens interconnect.
      
   • Use the ‘Ready for Development’ Option: Once a section of your Figma file is ready to be handed off to development take the following steps:
     1. Designate the completed area as a Section by selecting the Section tool and dragging a section area designation around the items you want to mark.
     2. Click on the development icon to the right of the section title. This will allow you to change the status of an area. It will default to “Ready for Development” when initially clicked.
         
3. Prototypes and Visual Assets
   • Interactive Prototypes: For more complex or novel designs, use Figma's prototyping features to demonstrate functionality and user interactions.
      
   • Export Assets: Ensure all visual assets are exported in the required formats and organized logically within Figma.
     
      
4. Forge Design System
   • Consistent Components: Use components from the Forge Design System to maintain consistency.
     
      
5. Handoff Meeting
   • Review Session: Hold a handoff meeting to walk through the designs in Figma, clarify any doubts, and discuss potential challenges.
      
   • Feedback Loop: Establish a feedback loop to address any issues that arise during development.

• Do Communicate Clearly: Maintain open and transparent communication throughout the project.
   
• Do Use Collaboration Tools: Utilize Figma's collaboration features for sharing designs and specifications.
   
• Do Provide Context: Explain the user journey and the problem the design aims to solve.
   
• Do Be Available: Be available for questions and provide timely responses to developer inquiries.

• Don’t Assume Understanding: Never assume that developers will understand the design without proper explanation.
   
• Don’t Overwhelm with Details: Avoid overloading developers with unnecessary details; focus on what's critical for implementation.
   
• Don’t Skip Testing: Don’t neglect usability testing and validation before handoff.