How we are leveraging collaborative software during remote web design projects
As a remote agency that works with national and international clients, we rely heavily on collaborative tools to help us connect with our clients and deliver projects efficiently and effectively. This article will give you some behind-the-scenes access to the tools we use and how they help us throughout web design projects.
It all begins with FigJam, project discovery and planning
Kicking off all projects involves discovery and planning. That is where FigJam comes into play. FigJam is an online collaborative whiteboard tool by Figma, and yes it comes with digital sticky notes!
The ability to collaborate remotely with the project members early on is important to ensure:
- Objectives are agreed upon
- Ideas are written down
- Project members are aligned
- Everyone knows their responsibilities
FigJam facilitates this by providing a digital workspace to compile notes, make comments, create plans and timelines… the list goes on. With a template available for any scenario the software becomes extremely versatile allowing us to use it for almost every project.
Users can simply sign up for an account and make comments where needed and our team will facilitate the changes or if the project meets the criteria we will allow edit access to collaborate with internal design and marketing teams within organisations.
Figma, the centrepiece of creativity for web design
At the heart of our design process lies Figma, a cloud-based design tool that removes any geographical constraints. Figma has revolutionised the way design teams collaborate with clients and also internal departments.
Real-time collaboration
Gone are the days of sending cumbersome files, exporting examples, collating and annotating feedback… Figma is a real-time collaboration tool which has been welcomed with open arms by web design, UX and UI experts across the globe.
Streamlining feedback
As well as real-time collaboration, Figma allows us to work with clients and streamline feedback loops to ensure swift delivery and remove any ambiguity relating to feedback as comments can be pinned to elements at the click of a button.
Prototyping
Figma offers robust prototyping features which allow our design team to show clients and the in-house development team how the design would behave as if it was coded.
Managing projects made easier with Productive
While creativity fuels our designs, effective project management drives their realisation. Enter Productive, our go-to project management solution which is tailored specifically for agencies.
Comprehensive project management
Productive serves as the centre of all of our project management processes with a top-down view of tasks, deadlines, resource allocation and documents.
Client access
Depending on the size and/or complexity of the project we may invite project members in so we can assign tasks and deadlines to members outside of our in-house team.
Collaborative documents
Ever found yourself searching for that one document? In Productive everything is easily accessible in one place. Right from the get-go, our team take notes using our developed templates to collect the right information. From discovery information, meeting notes and project scope – all information is stored within Productive.
Every project is unique, and that is why we are flexible
One of our greatest assets is being able to adapt to different situations. Unfortunately, for us, there are rarely two projects the same and the dynamic can vary substantially. We have specifically chosen the tools that allow us to adjust and continue applying high-quality project management processes surrounding the formula we know that works.
If you’re interested in working with us on your next web design project, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to take you through our processes and show you the tools in a live demonstration.
