Design handoff checklist for 2026

1. Tokens before pixels

Developers implement systems, not one-off hex codes. Export design tokens (DTCG JSON, CSS variables, or Tailwind) so color, type, and spacing stay consistent across the codebase.

• Every fill on a production screen should map to a named color style
• Typography uses shared text styles, not ad hoc font sizes
• Document which tokens are semantic (e.g. color-primary) vs primitive

2. Audit contrast and accessibility

WCAG contrast failures are expensive to fix in code. Check text on backgrounds before handoff — especially muted labels on tinted surfaces.

3. Naming that matches the DOM

Layer names like Rectangle 47 do not survive export. Use names developers can grep: btn-submit, card-metric, nav-item-home.

4. Spacing and layout specs

Include key distances between elements (title → subtitle, card padding, button height). A spacing table saves back-and-forth in Slack.

5. Component inventory

List reusable components and instances. If a button appears twelve times, it should be one component with variants — not twelve slightly different rectangles.

6. Export package

Ship a single bundle: tokens file, handoff markdown per frame, and PNG/SVG assets. Developers should not hunt across five Figma links.

Automate with Kirutma Pro

Kirutma Pro runs a UI audit (raw colors, contrast, naming, detached components), applies one-click fixes, then exports DTCG tokens and developer handoff markdown from the same file you designed in.