Workflow design
Design a handoff that needs no follow-up
A practical framework for making ownership and context travel together.
September 8, 2026
1 min read
Mira Vale
/ FIELD NOTES
Workflow design
Start with the decision
A handoff is ready when the next person can act without reconstructing the conversation. Define the decision, name the owner, and attach the context that makes the decision possible. More fields are not always better; begin with the smallest useful set.
Make exceptions explicit
Write down what happens when information is missing, the owner is unavailable, or the request changes. Give each exception a visible destination. Review the first ten requests with the people who receive them and remove any step that does not help them act.
/ KEY TAKEAWAYS
Define the decision, name the owner, and attach the context that makes the decision possible.
Give each exception a visible destination.
Review the first ten requests with the people who receive them and remove any step that does not help them act.
Mira Vale
Co-founder · Product
A fictional product leader focused on making complex work easier to understand.
/ KEEP READING
/CONTACT
Let’s make the next step clear.
Have a question, a project in mind, or want to talk through the workflow? Send a note.