The following are guidelines you should follow to ensure a smooth handoff process between all stakeholder during the design phase.
User Stories
The design department cannot accept work that does not contain realized user stories.
Workshops
Sometimes it may be necessary to conduct workshops to help with the creation and understanding of user stories. Although this usually falls into the domain of a PM, when needed, design can also help facilitate workshops. Not every stakeholder needs to be present for workshops.
Workshops should be used:
To help realize stories when needed
Execution of design solutions should not start until the ticket is ready for consumption
Help product manager to think through primary and secondary cases before hand
What is in scope what is out of scope
Boundary cases
What is normal
At a minimum the story must contain
1-2 use cases
User goals
What is the user trying to achieve with the feature?
Acceptance criteria (Note what do we expect? What is acceptance criteria? Should they be instructions for design to follow verbatim?)
Design will try to accommodate as much as possible within prototypes (Note: Not every single possible interaction can realistically be included in prototypes)
UX Lean Canvas should be filled out (When applicable: not necessary for every story but most likely for brand new features or a complete redesign of a page)
Who are the stakeholders?
Clearly state before work begins who is responsible for review and final OK
Find cadence with stakeholders (Communication with stakeholders)
Prototype Stages
The following are best practices the design team should follow when using UXPin progress status tools. (Or similar prototyping tools)
In Progress
Design is still working towards a solution
Waiting for review
Design has created the first finalized iteration and has sent to stakeholders for review (Use UXPin feature for sending prototypes for stakeholder review)
Comments are open to gather discussion and thoughts from all stakeholders
A predetermined date agreed to before hand between PM and Designer for review cut off should be adhered to
Typically this can be 1 or 2 rounds
Accepted
Design has received and resolved all comments
All changes have been incorporated
Definition of DONE
Delivering assets
UX Lean Canvas should be either attached to the user story or begin every prototype or both
User Flows should be either attached to the user story or begin every prototype or both
Any story requiring designs is not final and ready for grooming unless UXPin prototype is attached
This will avoid any back and forth of where the design artifact is
Relevant design related documentation should be annotated for each prototype
Prototypes must be reviewed and accepted by stakeholders who are determined before work begins
Groom with engineers well before sprint begins
Show engineers how to use spec mode and turn on documentation annotations