How do you use mobile design documentation to collaborate with developers and stakeholders?

1 Define your scope

Before you start designing, you need to define the scope of your project. What are the main features, functions, and user flows of your app? What are the technical constraints and dependencies? What are the business objectives and success metrics? By answering these questions, you can create a clear and concise scope document that outlines the purpose, scope, and deliverables of your project. This document will help you align your expectations with your developers and stakeholders, and avoid scope creep and confusion later on.

2 Create your wireframes

Wireframes are low-fidelity sketches or diagrams that show the layout, structure, and navigation of your app screens. They help you plan and organize your content, functionality, and interactions, and test your ideas and assumptions with users. Wireframes are also useful for communicating your design concepts and logic to developers and stakeholders, and getting their feedback and approval. You can create your wireframes using tools like Sketch, Figma, or Adobe XD, and export them as PDFs or PNGs for easy sharing.

3 Write your specifications

Specifications are detailed descriptions of your app's features, functionality, and behavior. They include information such as screen sizes, colors, fonts, icons, images, animations, transitions, gestures, inputs, outputs, error messages, and accessibility guidelines. Specifications help you define and document your design decisions and standards, and provide developers with the instructions and resources they need to implement your design. You can write your specifications using tools like Zeplin, InVision, or Marvel, and link them to your wireframes for easy reference.

4 Update your prototypes

Prototypes are interactive mockups that simulate how your app will look and work in real life. They help you validate and refine your design solutions, and demonstrate your app's functionality and usability to developers and stakeholders. Prototypes are also essential for conducting user testing and gathering feedback and insights from your target audience. You can update your prototypes using tools like Sketch, Figma, or Adobe XD, and share them via URLs or QR codes for easy access.

5 Collaborate with your team

Collaboration is key to successful mobile design documentation. You need to communicate and coordinate with your developers and stakeholders throughout the design process, and keep them informed of your progress, changes, and challenges. You also need to solicit and incorporate their feedback and suggestions, and resolve any issues or conflicts that arise. You can collaborate with your team using tools like Slack, Trello, or Asana, and set up regular meetings, calls, or chats to discuss your project status, goals, and next steps.

6 Review and test your documentation

Finally, you need to review and test your mobile design documentation before you hand it over to your developers. You need to check your documentation for accuracy, consistency, clarity, and completeness, and make sure it meets the project requirements and expectations. You also need to test your documentation for usability, functionality, and performance, and identify and fix any errors, bugs, or gaps. You can review and test your documentation using tools like Lighthouse, Google PageSpeed Insights, or UserTesting, and ask for feedback from your peers, users, or experts.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?