status-app/docs/internal/epic-delivery-workflow.md

Cross-Team Epic Delivery Workflow

This guide documents the optimal steps to create and work on Feature Epics in a collaborative way.

Table of Contents

• Cross-Team Epic Delivery Workflow
  • Table of Contents
  • 1. Epic Creation (Product / Dev / Design)
  • 2. Design Exploration Phase
  • 3. Final Design Approval & Handoff
  • 4. Development Planning
  • 5. Design QA (Post-Implementation Review)
  • 6. Epic Completion
  • TLDR Summary Workflow (High-Level)

1. Epic Creation (Product / Dev / Design)

• An EPIC is created for any new feature or major improvement (by product, dev or design teams).
• The EPIC includes:
  • Feature requirements
  • High-level scope
  • Known constraints or assumptions
• The epic is assigned to the Design Team with the label needs-design.

2. Design Exploration Phase

• The designer changes the Epic status to “In Progress” once exploration begins.
• The designer starts drafting early concepts / prototypes.
• The designer is responsible for pinging the Dev owner early to initiate collaboration.
• Multiple review iterations may happen with:
  • Dev / Product / QA engineers
• Syncs may be:
  • Async (chat / comments) / Sync calls, as needed
• Communication should be frequent, potentially more than once per week for complex features.

3. Final Design Approval & Handoff

• Last meeting to present the final design
• Once iterated and aligned, the final design direction is agreed by:
  • Design / Product / Dev
• The designer prepares and delivers the Figma handoff package.
  • Includes adding a link to the Figma files to the Epic's description.
• The designer removes the needs-design label from the epic.
• The designer pings the Dev team (in the same epic) to indicate the feature is ready for implementation.

4. Development Planning

• The Dev owner reviews the final design.
• The Dev owner breaks down the epic into small, actionable subtasks.
• Subtasks include:
  • UI components / Interactions / Edge states
  • Integration work
  • Non-visual logic affected by UI
  • Automation test to be implemented by a QA engineer
  • Design QA task
• The Dev owner assigns subtasks within the team (if needed) and starts implementation.
• It should have acceptance criteria

5. Design QA (Post-Implementation Review)

• Once the implementation is complete, Dev notifies Design and put the Status as QA.
• Designer reviews the built feature to ensure:
  • Visual fidelity
  • Correct interactions
  • Proper responsive handling
  • Consistency with the agreed design
• Designer to document all found issues in the Pull Request.
• Any necessary follow-ups are captured as subtasks and addressed by Dev.

6. Epic Completion

• When:

  • All dev subtasks are done
  • Design QA is approved
  • Product is aligned

• The epic is marked as Completed and closed.

TLDR Summary Workflow (High-Level)

1. Epic created -> assigned to Design with needs-design
2. Design exploration -> prototypes -> early dev syncs
3. Final design agreed -> Figma delivered -> needs-design label removed -> dev notified
4. Dev decomposes work -> implements subtasks
5. Design QA -> fixes -> approval