top of page
Search

5 Best Collaboration Tools for Remote Creative Teams


A coffee cup and two pairs of hands with a laptop displaying a colour-coded project timeline with a notebook and smartphones scattered on a table.
Source: Pexels - Ivan Samkov

As remote work becomes increasingly common, communication between employees has evolved over the years. With different software and tools not utilised for remote teams, miscommunication tends to be the main concern for remote creatives.


Hence, remote work tools have become one of the growing software in the IT industry, making collaboration tools for remote teams essential. Not only does it streamline communication and organise task tracking, but these tools catered for remote working help keep track of progress and the team’s work performance, to name a few.


In this list, we will rank these remote collaboration tools in terms of their features, limitations and pricing. 


Table of Contents


TESSR

Screenshot of the TESSR Review module displaying how feedback and comments can be made visually for a project.
TESSR Dashboard

Best features:

  • All tools are available in the free plan 

  • Real-time visual view of team members' workloads 

  • Easy visual collaboration for feedback 

 

Cons: 

  • Slight learning curve 

  • Still a fairly new software


Pricing: 

  • Free plan available for small teams 

  • Simple plan is $11 per seat per month in the annual plan 

    • No tool limitations, only limitations for the number of teams, projects and metrics 

 

TESSR project management software, which is built specifically for creatives, aims to help individuals feel appreciated and recognised for their hard work. Their collaborative tools are user-friendly and easy to use, removing the hassle of needing an expert to teach the team how to use the software. However, the TESSR team are more than happy to demo the software to assist in your project management!


One of the main collaboration tool features that TESSR provides is its TESSR Review module, which enables visual collaboration with teams, providing both visual annotations and contextual comments for feedback. A useful feature for remote work tools that can greatly reduce the need for frequent alignment meetings among creatives. 

 

Figma 

Screenshot of how to add a comment on a web design project.
Source: Figma 

Best features:

  • Able to access from different devices 

  • Customisable templates 

  • Tag teammates in comments on design projects 


Cons:

  • Steep learning curve 

  • Customisable but limited 

  • Usability issues 


Pricing: 

  • Free version only for personal projects and basic tools 

  • Different pricing tiers with different tool availability 

    • Cheapest: $3 per month for annual plan


Figma’s main strength of accessibility across all devices makes it a remote-friendly collaborative tool. What started as a frustration towards Photoshop became a designing tool so that remote teammates can design at the same time, seeing changes and comments appear immediately.


So, in a way, Figma is a simplified version of Photoshop with collaborative capabilities, making it a go-to for remote creatives who are focusing on designing digital interfaces.


Asana 

Screenshot of a brief view of Asana’s project timeline for a project.
Source: Asana

Best features:

  • Easy to learn interface 

  • Syncing ability with other software like Google Drive and Slack 

  • Project timeline tracking is visually attractive 


Cons: 

  • Can be overwhelming for large projects 

  • Exporting the data report needs to be done manually 

  • Best features behind a paywall 


Pricing: 

  • The free plan is mainly for managing tasks in a small team 

  • Different pricing plans with different tools available in each plan 

    • Cheapest is their Starter plan for $10.99 per month for an annual plan 


Asana’s simple layout makes it easy to organise and manage work. Their visual presentation of task trackers and project deadlines eases the overview of the project timeline, making it a collaboration tool suited for remote teams. This removes the need to manually track an individual's work tasks and deadlines, particularly in remote work situations, as updates from team members may not come as quickly if a project manager requires feedback regarding their tasks.


Google  

Screenshot of the Google Chat showing the different Spaces in different Thread channels.
Source: Google Workspace

Best features:

  • All apps are available to be used for free 

  • Library add-ons that include Asana, DocuSign, and Hiver 

  • Ability to work offline 


Cons: 

  • Free apps are not optimised for business or company use 

  • Bigger storage behind a paywall 

  • Manually track assigned tasks 


Pricing: 

  • Multiple free access to all Google Workspace apps 

  • Business starter starts at $6 per user per month 


Google Workspace is a common remote collaborative tool that is familiar and easy to use. Its seamless synchronisation with other apps makes it a flexible tool for collaboration and management.

I–n terms of accessibility, Google Workspace is a good choice for remote teams that are starting or need tools that can still function without an Internet connection. It may not be a typical required feature for remote work tools, but it is one of the few features that make Google Workspace different. So, if your team has frequent Internet access issues, it could be a tool for you.


Canva 

Screenshot of the Canva Team’s collaborative feature showcasing the ‘Team Whiteboard’.
Source: Canva Teams

Best features:

  • Easy to learn 

  • Multiple apps integration 

  • Visually pleasing interface 

 

Cons: 

  • Collaboration tools behind a paywall 

  • Canva Teams does not have a free option, but only as a free trial 

  • Unable to track project timelines 


Pricing: 

  • Remote creatives have been using Canva as a social content remote collaboration tool in recent years. The interface is visually pleasing and easy to understand, removing the hassle of having to learn the tool first.

 

Conclusion 

Collaborative tools come in all shapes and sizes (and prices). You need to understand your team's and project's requirements to determine which remote work tool is best for your creative teams.

 

Visual feedback can be very beneficial, especially for remote teams. Sometimes words fail us, and saying, “Go here – no, go to the left,” every time you want to give feedback on a visually heavy project can be tiring (and time-consuming).


Our TESSR project management software understands this struggle, so when it comes to giving feedback for reviews and comments, TESSR Review enables visual collaboration by providing visual annotations and contextual comments for feedback.


FAQs 

Why is collaboration important in a workplace?

A collaborative environment builds trust and mutual respect, essential for ensuring the team feels valued and heard. This results in a benefit that is often overlooked: employee satisfaction.


Why are collaboration tools important?

Tools made for collaboration are important not only for streamlining communication between teams, especially for remote teams, but also for keeping track of tasks and progress and improving overall workflows.


Are teamwork and collaboration the same? 

While both involve a group of people working together to reach a common goal, teamwork and collaboration are not the same. Teamwork is associated with a hierarchy and structure that is not often flexible. Collaboration is more open-ended and encourages shared ideas with a team that equally participates in that common goal.

 

Author Bio 

With a background in Arts English, Adilla has been a casual writer for various hobbies, including parodies of animated shows and plots for board games like Dungeons & Dragons. She loves to read anything and everything from fantasy stories to articles on tips and tricks. Currently, Adilla resides in Malaysia and is a creative writer at TESSR. One day, she is eager to publish her book. To know more about her, check out her LinkedIn.


Comments

bottom of page