Handover
Handover is the transfer of design decisions, files, and rules to the people who implement or continue the project.
Good handover is not just sending screens. It explains how the design should behave and why the decisions matter.
What to Include
- final screens and flows
- component states
- responsive behavior
- spacing and layout rules
- typography and color rules
- interaction details
- open questions or constraints
- accessibility annotations
- expected heading structure
- focus states and keyboard behavior
- alt text requirements
- form labels and error messages
Why It Matters
Without clear handover, implementation can drift away from the design intention.
Strong handover helps the next person understand:
- what is fixed
- what can change
- what behavior matters
- where the design system should be reused
Accessibility Handover
Accessibility decisions should be made explicit before development.
Useful annotations include:
- which text is
h1,h2,h3, and so on - which images need alt text and which are decorative
- how focus should move through the page
- how errors and success states should be announced
- which controls need labels, states, and roles
- where keyboard and screen-reader behavior needs attention