Poor handoffs between design and development are a common source of launch delays and rework. Missing specs, unclear breakpoints, and untracked feedback create friction that slows execution and strains team trust.
At Webstacks, we’ve supported dozens of growth-stage B2B SaaS teams through complex web launches. Across those projects, five recurring handoff issues consistently hold teams back, ranging from incomplete assets to one-directional workflows where designers step out too early.
This article outlines each mistake and the practical steps to prevent them. If your releases are slipping or engineering effort is getting tied up in avoidable rework, these are the areas to address first.
1. Incomplete or Unclear Design Specs
Missing or vague specifications slow down development and increase rework. A developer may not know why an animation is timed a certain way, what a line of copy is meant to prompt, or how a component should behave at specific breakpoints. Without that clarity, they rely on assumptions, which often leads to misaligned features and added rework.
The simplest fix is adding lightweight documentation at the point of handoff. Record a short Loom that explains key interactions, content strategy, and responsive logic, then attach it to the Jira ticket. A quick note summarizing design intent helps future contributors stay aligned without needing another meeting.
The four spec gaps that show up most often:
- Responsive breakpoints for all major device sizes
- States for interactive elements (hover, focus, disabled)
- Character and line limits for headings, buttons, and form fields
- Accessibility requirements like contrast, ARIA roles, and keyboard navigation
When these aren’t documented up front, developers spend time chasing answers or making assumptions. That slows the sprint and adds technical debt. The simplest fix is adding lightweight documentation at the point of handoff. Record a short Loom that explains key interactions, content strategy, and responsive logic, then attach it to the Jira ticket. A quick note summarizing design intent helps future contributors stay aligned without needing another meeting.
2. Disorganized Asset Delivery
Even well-documented designs fall short if supporting assets aren’t delivered correctly. Missing files delay development, introduce visual inconsistencies, and create unnecessary back-and-forth between teams.
Common asset gaps include:
- Icons without hover or active states
- Licensed images or illustrations not included in handoff
- Animation files (Lottie, MP4) delivered late or in the wrong format
- Custom fonts without fallbacks or licensing info
When these assets aren’t delivered with the design, developers lose time searching, requesting clarification, or recreating files. This slows down the sprint and increases the risk of inconsistent or outdated visuals being shipped.
Prevent delays by organizing assets in a clearly named folder structure (e.g., /v1/hero-images/) with version-controlled exports and pinned links in Jira. Include a README file with formats, sizes, and usage notes.
3. Over-Reliance on Auto-Generated Specs and Code
Design tools make it easy to export HTML and CSS, but relying on those exports for production introduces performance and maintainability issues. It often creates the illusion of speed while adding hidden costs.
Auto-generated code typically includes redundant classes, inline styles, and div-heavy layouts. These inflate bundle sizes, slow down pages, and create accessibility gaps by omitting proper semantic markup and ARIA roles. Since these exports are disconnected from shared components, they are difficult to maintain and scale.
When design tokens aren't used, small updates like a color or font change require edits in multiple places instead of a single system reference. Over time, the time spent making small updates can lead to more rework than the original handoff was meant to save.
Pair designers and engineers in short QA sessions before implementation to help prevent this. Use pull request reviews to confirm that styles are based on tokenized values, not one-off overrides. If a value isn't part of the system, it should be revised before implementation.
4. One-Way Handoff (Design Disappears After Delivery)
When design hands off files and immediately moves on, important details often go unresolved. Once code is stable, even small changes trigger new QA cycles, stakeholder reviews, and deployment delays. These slowdowns are avoidable when designers stay involved beyond initial delivery.
Designers can keep the feedback loop open with a few simple practices:
- Join sprint reviews so designers can clarify intent before tickets close
- Use a shared Slack channel for fast visual feedback and sign-offs
- Schedule a mid-sprint QA checkpoint to catch edge cases early and align on final outputs
Design and engineering should operate from a shared backlog, attend the same stand-ups, and mutually own the definition of “done.” This approach keeps communication tight and prevents late-stage surprises.
5. Tool and Workflow Fragmentation
When teams use disconnected tools, basic tasks take longer, and critical feedback gets lost. Designs in one system, builds tracked in another, and assets scattered across folders turn execution into a constant search for context.
These siloed inputs and fragmented workflows show up fast:
- Specs get exported from Figma, even as developers work in Azure DevOps
- Assets are stored solely in Dropbox instead of being linked to the Linear ticket
- Comments get buried in email or Slack, never reaching the source of work
These inefficiencies slow sprints, frustrate onboarding, and increase the risk of misalignment. Choose a shared stack and stick to it. For example, Figma for design, Jira for tasks, and GitHub for code. Assign clear ownership at each step to reduce confusion and prevent handoff gaps.
Get Faster Launches, Cleaner Workflows, and Better Results with Webstacks
Specs that lack detail, missing assets, one-way handoffs, and disconnected tools all slow down your launch. These gaps lead to rework, missed deadlines, and mounting technical debt.
Webstacks solves this with workflows designed for speed and alignment. We build sites using composable components tied to a headless CMS, so marketers can launch pages without waiting on dev. Whether you use Contentful, Storyblok, or another CMS, our shared framework keeps updates fast and future migrations simple.
If you're spending too much time untangling handoff issues, it's time for a better system. Get started with Webstacks and turn your site into a platform that actually supports growth.
