So, someone mentioned the term “design runway” the other day, and it got me thinking back. It sounds fancy, maybe a bit corporate, but the idea behind it? Yeah, I’ve lived that, just didn’t always call it by that name.
I remember this one project, ages ago now. It was pure chaos. Designers would finish a screen, chuck it over the fence to the developers, and then poof, disappear onto the next shiny thing. The devs would start building, hit a snag because a button state was missing, or nobody knew what font size to use on mobile. Cue the frantic searching, the interruptions, the blame game. It was messy. We wasted so much time just clarifying stuff that should’ve been clear from the start.
Figuring Stuff Out
We knew things had to change. It wasn’t sustainable. We didn’t sit down and say “Let’s implement a design runway methodology!” Nah, it was more like, “How do we stop driving each other crazy?” We started small.
First, we tried getting designs ‘done’ earlier. Not just pretty pictures, but actually thought-through flows, all the weird edge cases considered, that kind of ‘done’. This was harder than it sounds. It meant saying “no” to last-minute changes more often, which took some getting used to.
Then, we focused on the handoff itself. Instead of just sharing a file link, we actually started prepping things properly. It evolved over time, but it looked something like this:
- We finalized the core design well before the developers needed it.
- We checked if all the components were consistent with our existing library or if new ones were clearly defined.
- We added notes directly in the design file – explaining interactions, tricky bits, accessibility stuff. Simple language, no jargon.
- We organized all the assets needed, like icons or illustrations, making them easy to grab.
- Crucially, we scheduled a quick chat, a walkthrough, with the developers who would actually build the thing. Just 15-20 minutes to explain the design, answer immediate questions. This saved HOURS later on.
Making it Stick
We basically built up a buffer. Designs were getting ready, polished, and spec’d out while developers were still working on the previous batch of features. It was like having planes lined up and ready for takeoff, instead of scrambling to fuel them up while passengers were boarding. That’s the “runway,” I guess.
It wasn’t a perfect system overnight. Sometimes things still got missed. Sometimes urgent stuff jumped the queue. But having that process, that deliberate step of preparing work properly before handing it off, made a huge difference. It cut down the back-and-forth massively. Developers felt more confident starting work, and designers got interrupted less. It just felt… calmer.
So yeah, “design runway.” Fancy name, maybe. But the practice of getting your design work truly ready and lined up before development starts? That’s just common sense born from painful experience, really. It’s about making sure the next step in the process can happen smoothly. Definitely worth doing, whatever you decide to call it.
