Key decisions
- The approved version is identifiable.
- Editable sources and exports are distinguished.
- Usage conditions and asset credits are attached.
- Relevant interface or brand states are included.
Name the source of truth
List the editable source files, final exports and the document that identifies the approved version. Explain who can edit the source and where later revisions belong. A filename containing ‘final’ is not a reliable approval record when several versions circulate. If fonts, photographs or other assets have usage conditions, keep those references with the files instead of assuming possession means unrestricted use.
Show how the design behaves
For an interface, include normal, selected, empty, loading and error states where they are part of the project. For a brand asset, show the intended background and size contexts. Explain a decision that may look arbitrary, such as a longer button label in another language. MDN’s planning guidance supports considering the task before implementation; the handoff structure here is an editorial recommendation, not a universal contractual deliverable.
Make exports understandable
Explain which file is for the web, which is editable and which needs further production preparation. Preserve descriptive names and an asset list. An image may need different alternative text depending on its purpose; W3C’s images tutorial is useful context for that distinction. The designer can describe the intended use, while the page owner must confirm the image’s role in the actual content.
Review the handoff through a downstream task
Ask the next person to build or place one representative item using only the handoff. Observe where they ask for clarification. Record the answer in the shared note and update the file package if needed. Keep decisions that remain open separate from approved work. A handoff is complete for its agreed scope when the recipient can identify what to use and what still needs a decision.
Try the exercise
Prepare a handoff for a fictional course registration button and its small layout. Include normal, error and narrow-screen states, an export list and one unresolved copy decision.
Expected output
A small file package and operating note that another person can use without guessing which version is approved. This does not change the deliverables of an existing order.
Your evidence checklist
Mark only what you have checked. This records your own progress, not an independent audit or a predicted result. There is no automatic saving; download the note if you want to keep it.
0 / 6 checked
Questions and answers
Does handing over a source file finish the process?
It completes one part. The recipient also needs to know which version is approved, how assets may be used and which decisions remain open. Test the handoff with a representative task to discover missing context before the package is treated as complete.
Must every possible state be designed?
Agree the states required by the project’s real tasks. Cover important errors and empty conditions before adding speculative variants. If a state is intentionally outside scope, name it clearly so the implementation team does not mistake an omission for an approved behaviour.
Next step
Transfer the files and the reasoning that makes those files usable in the next task.
Sources and verification
- W3C WAI — Images tutorial ↗
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- MDN — Thinking before coding ↗
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