In my WordCamp Europe 2025 talk, Bridging Design and Development, I shared how modern agencies can eliminate the traditional gaps between design, development and client collaboration. But a critical piece of that puzzle happens not just internally — it’s also how we handover work to clients and gather their feedback at each phase of a project.
At LightSpeed, we see every website as a journey through three key phases:
- Prototype feedback Figma.
- Staging feedback using BugHerd with integrated Kanban board for efficient client collaboration.
- Post-live feedback and final sign-off using BugHerd feedback tool to gather a final issue list.
Each phase has its own goals, tools, and best practices. Here’s how we run it — and how you can, too.
Phase 1 – Prototype feedback: seeing the Vision early
We believe the first true “handover” moment comes before a single line of code is written. In Figma, we create high-fidelity interactive prototypes that simulate how the final site will look and behave.
Why it matters:
- Clients experience real user flows and see the brand’s look and feel in context.
- Misunderstandings are caught early, saving time and budget later.
- Developers gain a clear blueprint for the build.
At LightSpeed, we’ve added a Table of Contents (TOC) frame to our Figma prototypes, revolutionising the process for us. Clients no longer get lost clicking through dozens of screens — they can jump straight to any page or user flow they want to review.
When we share a Figma prototype, we:
- Provide clients with a cover email explaining how to navigate and comment.
- Encourage content-first reviews, using real or representative copy.
- Guide clients on what feedback we’re looking for (overall structure, brand feel, content accuracy, user flow).
- Set expectations: this is not the time for pixel-perfect tweaks.
“Adding a structured Table of Contents to our Figma prototypes completely revolutionized client interactions.”
– Ash Shaw, WordCamp Europe 2025
This first handover transforms feedback from random “opinions” into actionable insights tied directly to the design vision.
Phase 2 – Staging feedback: contextual comments in BugHerd
Once a prototype is approved, we move to building the real website on a staging server. Now it’s time to validate how everything works in the browser.
Instead of emails full of screenshots or vague bullet lists, we use BugHerd for staging feedback. Clients simply:
- Click anywhere on the staging website.
- Leave a comment pinned to that exact element.
- BugHerd automatically captures:
- A screenshot of the page.
- Browser and device info.
- The page URL.
Clients can even upload files or record videos to clarify their feedback.
Our staging process:
- Install the BugHerd WordPress plugin for easy deployment.
- Invite clients to BugHerd as guests — no complex setup required.
Triage feedback into a Kanban board:
- Tag issues (Design, Content, Development, etc.)
- Assign to team members.
- Track resolution with real-time status updates.
Integrations with Asana, Slack, and GitHub keep BugHerd seamlessly connected to our wider workflow. By the time staging feedback is done, every single comment has been either resolved or accounted for.
BugHerd turns feedback into actionable tasks. Clients love it because they feel heard. Our team loves it because nothing falls through the cracks.
– LightSpeed Team
Phase 3 – Post-live feedback & final sign-off
Even after launch, the client’s journey isn’t quite over. A live site can reveal edge cases or issues that only show up under real traffic conditions.
For a brief period, we enable BugHerd on the live site — but only for logged-in users with specific permissions. This lets clients:
- Confirm that final tweaks deployed from staging look and work as expected.
- Report any real-world issues quickly and contextually.
However, we strictly disable BugHerd once sign-off is complete, ensuring:
- No performance drag on the live site.
- A clean separation between project and maintenance mode.
Beyond BugHerd, our live handover process includes:
- Confirming Google Analytics tracking (using client accounts or LightSpeed’s).
- Connecting Google Search Console.
- Removing any “noindex” or staging-only settings.
- Running final SEO, performance, and security checks.
- Advising clients on running their own post-launch tests (forms, search, checkout, social previews, etc.).
Only once all feedback is resolved — and the client gives their final sign-off — is the project officially closed.
The ultimate goal for every project is to move smoothly from prototype → staging → live → client sign-off. A structured handover and feedback process ensures we hit that goal every time.
– Ash Shaw, LightSpeed
Why this process works
Across these three phases, we:
- Keep feedback contextual — either pinned to prototypes or to live website elements.
- Maintain a single source of truth for issues and resolutions.
- Ensure clients feel heard and involved.
- Close projects cleanly, with confidence and clarity.
Clients appreciate how seamless and professional this makes the experience. Our team appreciates how much time and guesswork it saves. The result? Projects launch faster, smoother, and with far fewer surprises.
Ready to bridge the gap between design and development in your own projects? Start by defining your handover and feedback processes — your clients (and your team) will thank you for it.
