The idea of a "design handoff" has been around as long as designers and developers have worked together. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t really exist. Or at least, it shouldn’t.

Design and development aren’t separate steps in a linear process. They’re part of the same conversation. When you treat development like the final stage, something that happens after the design is done, you miss opportunities, introduce risks, and ultimately make the work harder for everyone involved.

The traditional handoff model assumes that a designer creates a perfect blueprint, and the developer simply builds it. But in practice, things rarely go that smoothly.

In short, everyone loses.

When dev is brought in early and often, projects run smoother. Here’s what that can look like:

This doesn’t mean slowing down the creative process. It means enriching it with perspective and context.

When we’re partnering with an agency, we don’t always get the benefit of hallway chats and Slack pings. So it’s even more important to loop us in before a design is finalized.

Designs that don’t account for scope or feasibility can create tough moments late in the game. Not because anyone did anything wrong, but because we weren’t in the room when decisions were made.

The earlier we can see the vision, the better we can help bring it to life.

Design and development are teammates, not relay runners. A project doesn’t get passed from one to the other. It gets built together. When we collaborate from the start, we spot problems earlier, build smarter, and deliver better results.

If you’re an agency or studio looking to bring a development partner into the fold early, we’d love to talk.

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