Top Communication Apps for Remote Creative Teams

Source: Canva Collection

Collaboration is an essential process in any industry. However, when it comes to the creative industry, collaboration works a little differently, especially for remote teams. It goes beyond just giving feedback and asking for changes during review sessions. This is where the right communication apps step in.

Here are some of the top communication apps that can help remote creative teams stay connected and work smoothly together. These communication tools are designed to make collaboration easier and more enjoyable for everyone involved, be it remote teams or on-site.

Table of Contents

5 Types of Communication Features

3 Categories of Remote Team Communication Apps

Best Practices for Remote Communication Tools

Key Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many tools does a creative team actually need?

How do we get the team to actually use new tools?

Author Bio

5 Types of Communication Features

Instant Messaging

Remote communication tools should come with an instant messaging feature. This is essential since you are not working on the same site, so you can reach out quickly and get a response instantly.

Video Conferencing

Working in a creative industry, collaboration and discussions in group meetings are inevitable. These meetings will ease group alignment in a bigger group setting, especially in a remote work setting.

If this feature comes in one communication tool along with the option to sort and organise different groups, it will be even better.

Visual Collaboration

This is a required feature for remote creative teams, as sharing files and gaining feedback are better documented for future reference.

A communication tool with a feature to visually collaborate with other team members can help prevent miscommunication that can happen during review/feedback sessions.

Source: TESSR App

File Sharing and Project Management

When it comes to creative projects, there are several files and stages of the process to manage. If this isn’t made clear, it could disrupt the flow of the work.

The impact is that team members would take on too much of the administrative part of the project rather than the core of their role.

Read more: Guide to Creatives Digital Document Management System

Team Culture and Bonding

Even when working in remote settings, team culture can thrive. With dedicated spaces for communication and casual connection available in the communication apps, teams can build genuine bonds with no physical office required.

3 Categories of Remote Team Communication Apps

For Messaging

Microsoft Teams

A familiar communication app widely used for its chat and video functions. An easy-to-use app that comes with mobile accessibility, suited for remote creative teams.

Slack

A popular messaging platform for team communication and collaboration. It allows instant messaging, file sharing, and integration with various tools to keep remote creative teams connected and organised in one place.

Zoom

A common app to use for video conferencing in a larger team setting. It comes with an interactive whiteboard suitable for brainstorming sessions.

For Collaboration

Miro

A whiteboard and flowchart maker tool suited for real-time collaboration and discussion that requires more visual cooperation.

TESSR

The TESSR Review feature stands out for its ability to give contextual comments and visual feedback with not just static images but also frame-by-frame videos.

For Management and Storage

Asana

A suitable app for beginners learning how to manage projects for creatives. Basic features that suit the general necessity of project management, plus being able to store files that are uploaded there.

Trello

A project management software for those preferring a more visual approach to organising projects and digital documents.

Best Practices for Remote Communication Tools

Source: Canva Collection

Set Clear Expectations and Protocols

Be transparent about what you expect from communications. Whether certain tasks are more suited for emails or there will be a weekly video meeting, set ground rules for what sort of communication channels and protocols are preferred.

Establishing The Tools to Be Used

Before starting your protocols, list out the communication tools that will be used throughout the project or the amount of time you would want to use them. State what roles these tools will be used for as well.

Conduct Regular Check-Ins

To ensure that the communication apps that are used are suitable for the remote team, check with them often. So, you will be able to provide support or address issues early on.

Key Takeaways

• Finding the right communication tools for remote creatives can be a struggle, especially for visual designers.

• The tip is that before settling for a remote communication app, it’s best to identify what is important for the whole team.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many tools does a creative team actually need?

There is no specific number of tools that a creative team would need but limiting it to a few tools is better.

How do we get the team to actually use new tools?

To get the team to actually use the new tools that you are introducing, start a proper onboarding process and show them how and when to use them. If they’re struggling to adopt this tool, narrow down the issue to whether the tool is too difficult or takes too much of their time.

Author Bio

With a background in Arts English, Adilla has been a casual writer for various hobbies, like parodies of animated shows and plots for board games. She loves to read anything and everything from fantasy stories to articles on tips and tricks. Now an advocate for mental health and effective project management for the creative industry. Currently, Adilla resides in Malaysia and is a creative writer at TESSR. To know more about her, check out her LinkedIn.