Hand Off a Blocked Team Task
Design a task management workflow that makes ownership, dependencies, handoffs, and blocked work visible to a business team.
The brief
Understand the problem
Background
Tasks can appear on track while waiting on an approval, asset, or decision. Teams need to distinguish active work from blocked work and transfer ownership without losing context.
User context
Maya leads a product launch. A packaging task is blocked by legal approval, and its owner is about to take leave.
Product problem
A status label alone does not reveal the blocker, its owner, affected work, or the next action. Handoffs can also produce duplicate ownership and missed notifications.
Objective
Create a team workflow for identifying a blocker, handing off responsibility, and recalculating affected work.
What to design
Define the experience
Required experience
- Project overview with blocker signals
- Task detail with dependencies and decision history
- Ownership handoff review
- Impact summary for affected tasks and dates
Screens and states
- Project board
- Task detail
- Handoff review
- Dependency impact
- Activity history
Core user flow
Follow the critical path
- 01
Maya notices the blocked packaging task on the project board
- 02
She opens it and identifies the pending legal approval
- 03
The current owner prepares a handoff with files and next actions
- 04
A colleague accepts ownership
- 05
The system shows which downstream dates may need attention
Product rules
Requirements and constraints
Requirements
- Represent task status, blocker status, and ownership separately
- Show upstream and downstream dependencies
- Require explicit acceptance for ownership transfer
- Keep decisions, files, and open questions in the handoff
- Notify affected owners without generating duplicate alerts
- Preserve an auditable activity history
Constraints
- Projects may contain thousands of tasks
- A task can have several dependencies
- Permissions differ across internal and external collaborators
- Dates may be estimates rather than fixed commitments
Reality check
States worth considering
Finish line
What to deliver
- Design five desktop screens emphasizing blockers, dependencies, ownership transfer, and audit history.
Optional direction
Visual resources
Use these as a starting constraint if you want one. They are not part of the required solution.
Roboto Condensed & Cabin
Clear interface writing gives people the confidence to understand what changed and decide what to do next.
Roboto Condensed & Cabin
Clear interface writing gives people the confidence to understand what changed and decide what to do next.