Without the proper alignment and synergy of the design and the development team, working on a project together can become a nightmare.
Work together early
Don't start the communication with the developers when the design is all done! Consult with them early about possible technology and implementation limitations.
This prevents the scenario of having to redesign and butcher your work last minute before the development phase begins! This will upset the client, make you seem unprofessional, and cause problems with the deadlines in the dev team.
How to team up for success
Have a meeting at the beginning of the project and agree on the following things.
- Which hand-off tools are we using?
- What asset management strategy are we going to use?
- Do we need a file-naming convention and what convention will it be?
- What are the constraints based on the frameworks and libraries devs are using?
- How are we going to show states, interactions, and animations?
Everybody should stick to what you decided as a team.
Think of developer as your user
Think about how a developer will consume your design. Empathize with them. Help them accomplish their goals and understand what's going on in the same manner you'd help your user.
Consider their needs and pain points and address them.
- How does the dev want to receive documentation? What's their preferred style and channel of communication?
- How much detail is necessary and how much is overwhelming?
Use a design system
Design system forces you to systemize your work and to think of it in terms of components. And that's exactly how front-end devs think! Creating a design system will help you speak the same language!
Document your process, thoughts, and decisions clearly and add them as a deliverable.
Check in frequently
Be there to answer their questions!
This prevents frustrations that might arise from devs not being sure how to do certain things and simply doing things their own way.
You might not like how they end up crafting it, and a a misunderstanding can arise.
Be there to remove the roadblocks and assist them in their workflow.
Take time to learn the basics of development
I know, this might sound like a nightmare to a lot of designers - but hear me out!
Knowing how things work in the dev world will make it easier for you to make your work "codeable". You don't need to become an expert in coding.
But knowing at least something will help you understand some of the limitations and possible workarounds.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in collaboration with the developers?
Comment down below!