Review & hand off / Practical guide

What belongs in an interior design handoff package?

A handoff is successful when the next person understands what they received, what it can be used for, and what still needs resolution. File count alone cannot establish completeness.

Illustrative package index: WR-01 furnished plan and WR-02 joinery elevation, both revision R0 and pending review
OpenLintel / Authored teaching diagramIllustrative · Not a project deliverable

Define the purpose and recipient first

A concept-review package, supplier enquiry, and construction issue do different jobs. Begin by stating the proposed use and recipient. Then determine what information and review are necessary for that use with the actual project team and agreed scope.

This guide demonstrates an illustrative design-discussion handoff only. It is not a universal deliverables list and has not received independent professional review. Project-specific construction, fabrication, permit, and specialist documentation require appropriate professional development and review.

Create an index that explains the issue

List actual documents rather than the documents you wish the package contained. For each, show an identifier, issue or revision, purpose, and unresolved boundary. An index should make omissions easier to see, not disguise them behind a polished cover.

Illustrative teaching exercise · No actual approval or project outcome
Artifact in the samplePurposeStatus and important limitation
Brief and selected Quiet Oak directionExplain intended use and material direction.Illustrative; no real client approval.
WR-01 / R0 furnished planLocate proposed furniture and J-01.Nominal inputs; pending review; do not scale or build.
WR-02 / R0 joinery elevationDescribe the J-01 concept proportion.Not fabrication information; details and site fit unresolved.
Partial materials scheduleConnect item and finish references.Not a complete takeoff or purchasing list.
Printable sample summarySummarize the illustrative set.Does not upgrade the status of the underlying records.

Keep teaching additions out of the actual issue index

The resources library also includes an RCP teaching diagram, budget workbook, and other planning templates. Their availability does not mean they are actual Window Room deliverables. The ceiling diagram is not WR-03; the USD budget figures are teaching allowances, not a supplied project estimate.

When adapting the method, put draft or reference-only material in a clearly separate category. Do not let an unreviewed attachment acquire the status of the main issue simply because it was included in the same folder.

Give unresolved information a useful next step

An open-item record needs a question, the affected information, the next evidence required, and an actual owner when appointed. Leave owner and timing unresolved if no one has agreed them; invented names or dates make the handoff less reliable.

Illustrative teaching exercise · No actual approval or project outcome
Open itemAffected recordNext information required
F-01 final productSpecification, plan, FF&E, budget.Verified model and dimensions; supplier information; required reviews.
FIN-02 wall areaFinish register and later quantity planning.Measured surface scope and suitable product-specific information.
J-01 developmentWR-02 and specification.Verified site input and appropriate fabrication and technical development.

Record the issue and confirm the next action

Keep the issued set, index, intended use, recipient list, and change summary together in your project system. Distinguish acknowledgement of receipt from agreement, professional review, or purchasing authority. A downloaded file only proves someone initiated a download, not that the information was understood.

Ask a recipient to locate a reference, identify the current revision, and describe the next action. Use any ambiguity to improve the issue. The educational drawing checklist can support that conversation but cannot certify a project package.

Before you move on

  • Does the index list only actual issue contents with their true status?
  • Are recipients and intended use explicit?
  • Can the next person identify each unresolved item and what must happen before reliance?

About this resource

Authored by OpenLintel with AI assistance. Examples are illustrative and have not received independent professional review. Adapt the structure to your practice and verify project-specific information. No legal agreement, regulatory compliance, or construction readiness is represented.

Authorship, review boundaries, sources, and corrections

See the information connect

Follow the corresponding chapter of The Window Room: one illustrative brief, one selected direction, and coordinated sample references.

Explore the sample handoff

Discuss your studio’s workflow

If recipients cannot tell which documents are current or what still needs review, discuss your handoff workflow in a pilot discovery conversation.

Request a pilot discovery conversation