Design one offline interface handoff before paying for design seats
Turn one three-screen interface into a local source file, checked exports, developer notes and a versioned handoff.
A compact interface handoff: one local editable design file, three screen states, inspected PNG and SVG exports, a short developer note and named source checkpoints.
Start with the file and handoff you need to own, not a design-seat membership. It has not been run in desigma, and the visual is a FreeStack illustration rather than a provider screenshot or tested export.
About this guide & its examples
This original FreeStack workflow uses a fictional appointment-booking interface and three ongoing-free tools. Official sources checked 27 October 2026.
Illustrations are FreeStack concepts, not provider screenshots. Check the free limits below and test your own files before delivery.
Free boundaries before you start
What’s free, whether you need an account, and when we last checked.
desigma · checked 2026-10-27
Free early-alpha native design software released under both MIT and Apache-2.0. The maintainer documents offline local projects, a Rust and tiny-skia renderer, .fig and REST JSON import, and PNG, SVG, PDF, GIF, WebM and developer exports. FreeStack has not tested fidelity or runtime behaviour; unsigned builds, hardware, fonts, assets and backups remain separate.
The maintainer states that local use needs no account. Optional peer-to-peer collaboration and future distribution paths require their own security and access review.
Visual Studio Code · checked 2026-10-27
VS Code remains free for private and commercial use on supported systems. The Microsoft distribution is built on Code-OSS and includes proprietary assets and integrations. Extensions choose their own licences; Settings Sync, Copilot, remote services and deployment infrastructure have separate terms and limits.
No Microsoft account is required for core local editing. Optional sync, Copilot, marketplace or hosted services can require accounts.
Git · checked 2026-10-27
Free GPLv2 distributed version-control software for local repositories, with no provider project or history quota. The current official site lists source release 2.56.0 dated 28 September 2026. Remote hosting, backup, access control and large-file storage are separate services.
No account is required for a local Git repository. Any remote host or sync service can require an account.
A small example to aim for
One appointment. Three states.
Keep the design editable.
Make the handoff inspectable.
Local source · checked PNG/SVG · developer note · named Git checkpoints
FreeStack workflow concept · not a desigma screenshot, tested export or customer result.
Illustrative example · adapt it to your project.
Jump to a step
Write the handoff contract first
In VS Code, define one small journey: choose a time, confirm the details and see a booked state. Name the three screen states, viewport, assets, approver and file formats the recipient actually needs. Keep authentication, billing, analytics, a complete design system and real customer data outside version one. Add acceptance checks for keyboard order, empty and error states, text contrast and narrow screens.
Build the editable source locally
Create the screens and a minimal component set in desigma. Use fictional copy and neutral placeholder data. Keep buttons, inputs, spacing and colours as reusable decisions, then include the empty and error states instead of polishing only the happy path. Save the source locally with a clear project name. The current project is an early alpha distributed as unsigned builds, so use a disposable copy and keep an independent backup.
Check the route before decorating it
Connect the three states as a simple prototype and ask a reviewer to describe the next action on each screen. Record where the route is unclear without inventing a completion rate or customer result. Review long text, focus order, error recovery and the smallest supported width. A clickable transition is evidence of the intended sequence, not proof that data, security or accessibility work in an application.
Export a review pack and inspect it
Export the agreed PNG or SVG references and reopen each file outside the editor. Check dimensions, text, cropping, colour and whether any required asset or state is missing. Treat code snippets or developer-mode output as a starting reference: compare them with the actual component conventions and never label unreviewed output production-ready. Keep third-party font and image licences beside the pack.
Name the source checkpoints
Place the local source file, brief, export inventory and developer note in an approved Git repository. Commit the bounded brief, the reviewed interface and the delivery candidate with messages that explain the decision. Do not place confidential client material in an unapproved remote. Git records history; it does not create an independent backup or make opaque binary changes easy to merge.
Pay only for the missing requirement
Keep the local route while one maker can prepare and review an occasional handoff. FreeStack editorial upgrade triggers: signed and supported builds, reliable production import and export fidelity, managed backup, real-time multi-user review, permissions, audit history, shared libraries, organisation administration or an agreed service level. Test the exact requirement with a representative file before buying design seats.
Your workflow, connected.
Follow the steps and carry the output into the next stage. These are suggested handoffs, not automatic integrations.
- 01Bound the outcome
VS Code core editing is free for private and commercial use. Extensions, sync, Copilot and hosted services have separate terms.
Three-state brief + acceptance checks - 02Own the source
desigma is dual MIT and Apache-2.0 software. The maintainer describes offline local files, but unsigned builds, hardware, fonts, assets and backup remain the user's responsibility.
Local editable design file - 04Prepare the evidence
desigma documents PNG, SVG, PDF, motion and developer exports. FreeStack has not independently tested their fidelity, so representative import and export checks remain part of the handoff.
Inspected exports + developer note - 05Make decisions inspectable
Git is GPLv2 software for local version control. Remote hosting, access controls, large-file storage and backup are separate.
Three named checkpoints
Provider information
Check current plans and documentation before committing to a workflow.
A couple of useful questions
Do I need desigma to use this workflow?
No. The useful boundary is an owned source file, a bounded route, inspected exports and a clear developer note. desigma is today's source-checked example; another ongoing-free editor can fit if it preserves those outputs.
What stays free?
desigma, Git and VS Code core provide ongoing-free software routes. Your device, backup, fonts, assets, remote repository and any managed collaboration or hosting remain separate.
Does local-first mean no network traffic?
The maintainer describes offline local files and optional peer-to-peer collaboration. FreeStack has not audited network behaviour. Keep the first exercise offline and fictional, then compare any collaboration path with your security requirements.
What does Save this toolkit keep?
The existing FreeStack flow saves desigma, VS Code and Git to a private stack after sign-in. It does not copy the design, create a repository, test exports, run code or purchase a provider plan.
What would you try?
Share your result or ask a specific question about this workflow.
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