skill

Design Handoff

Generate developer handoff specs from a design. Use when a design is ready for engineering and needs a spec sheet covering layout, design tokens, component props, interaction states, responsive breakpoints, edge cases, and animation details.

Anthropic4.80+ installsVetted

About

# /design-handoff

> If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see [CONNECTORS.md](../../CONNECTORS.md).

Generate comprehensive developer handoff documentation from a design.

## Usage

``` /design-handoff $ARGUMENTS ```

Generate handoff specs for: @$1

If a Figma URL is provided, pull the design from Figma. Otherwise, work from the provided description or screenshot.

## What to Include

### Visual Specifications - Exact measurements (padding, margins, widths) - Design token references (colors, typography, spacing) - Responsive breakpoints and behavior - Component variants and states

### Interaction Specifications - Click/tap behavior - Hover states - Transitions and animations (duration, easing) - Gesture support (swipe, pinch, long-press)

### Content Specifications - Character limits - Truncation behavior - Empty states - Loading states - Error states

### Edge Cases - Minimum/maximum content - International text (longer strings) - Slow connections - Missing data

### Accessibility - Focus order - ARIA labels and roles - Keyboard interactions - Screen reader announcements

## Principles

1. **Don't assume** — If it's not specified, the developer will guess. Specify everything. 2. **Use tokens, not values** — Reference `spacing-md` not `16px`. 3. **Show all states** — Default, hover, active, disabled, loading, error, empty. 4. **Describe the why** — "This collapses on mobile because users primarily use one-handed" helps developers make good judgment calls.

## Output

```markdown ## Handoff Spec: [Feature/Screen Name]

### Overview [What this screen/feature does, user context]

### Layout [Grid system, breakpoints, responsive behavior]

### Design Tokens Used | Token | Value | Usage | |-------|-------|-------| | `color-primary` | #[hex] | CTA buttons, links | | `spacing-md` | [X]px | Between sections | | `font-heading-lg` | [size/weight/family] | Page title |

### Components | Component | Variant | Props | Notes | |-----------|---------|-------|-------| | [Component] | [Variant] | [Props] | [Special behavior] |

### States and Interactions | Element | State | Behavior | |---------|-------|----------| | [CTA Button] | Hover | [Background darken 10%] | | [CTA Button] | Loading | [Spinner, disabled] | | [Form] | Error | [Red border, error message below] |

### Responsive Behavior | Breakpoint | Changes | |------------|---------| | Desktop (>1024px) | [Default layout] | | Tablet (768-1024px) | [What changes] | | Mobile (<768px) | [What changes] |

### Edge Cases - **Empty state**: [What to show when no data] - **Long text**: [Truncation rules] - **Loading**: [Skeleton or spinner] - **Error**: [Error state appearance]

### Animation / Motion | Element | Trigger | Animation | Duration | Easing | |---------|---------|-----------|----------|--------| | [Element] | [Trigger] | [Description] | [ms] | [easing] |

### Accessibility Notes - [Focus order] - [ARIA labels needed] - [Keyboard interactions] ```

## If Connectors Available

If **~~design tool** is connected: - Pull exact measurements, tokens, and component specs from Figma - Export assets and generate a complete spec sheet

If **~~project tracker** is connected: - Link the handoff to the implementation ticket - Create sub-tasks for each section of the spec

## Tips

1. **Share the Figma link** — I can pull exact measurements, tokens, and component info. 2. **Mention edge cases** — "What happens with 100 items?" helps me spec boundary conditions. 3. **Specify the tech stack** — "We use React + Tailwind" helps me give relevant implementation notes.

Install

Run this command

git clone https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins && cp -r knowledge-work-plugins/design/skills/design-handoff ~/.claude/skills/

Works with

claude appclaude codeclaude apicursorcodexwindsurfclinezed

Manual steps

Clone the repository and copy the `design/skills/design-handoff` folder into your Claude skills directory. Compatible with Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and any Agent Skills-compatible agent.

View source
License: Apache-2.0By Anthropic

Frequently asked questions

What is the Design Handoff skill?

Generate developer handoff specs from a design. Use when a design is ready for engineering and needs a spec sheet covering layout, design tokens, component props, interaction states, responsive breakpoints, edge cases, and animation details.

How do I install Design Handoff?

Run this in your terminal:

git clone https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins && cp -r knowledge-work-plugins/design/skills/design-handoff ~/.claude/skills/
Which AI tools does Design Handoff work with?

It works with claude_app, claude_code, claude_api, cursor, codex, windsurf, cline, zed.

Who made Design Handoff?

Anthropic, released under the Apache-2.0 license.

Is Design Handoff free?

Yes, it is free to use under the Apache-2.0 license.

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