Web design can be very hard when there are communication problems, especially when you use only phone calls or merely e-mails with texts. From my web projects experience, I asked clients many times for more feedback and details using simple images or screenshots, but that was often too much complicated for them. So I decided to search for an online tool(s) to aid the creative process by simplifying the sharing and discussion of mockups and/or screenshots from the beta version of a website template. Read more below about how you can simplify client feedback.
Improve Your Web Design Communication
We all love creating and talking about our web projects to generate a successful design, and frequently need to share our ideas and collect feedback from others (clients mostly). We have to discuss with a client to know what they’d like to change, and then change it. Change is inevitable; everything changes and can change a lot of times over the lifetime of a project. You should always write it into the contract to avoid any frustration when you get a client from hell.
Below you will find several online tools with short descriptions that allow selected people to easily point at a part of the picture (whether they be a screenshot from JoomShaper Quickstart or just an image of something else) while talking about it & keeps all discussions organized for you. Your clients can add comments to projects, reply to your notes, and even have a discussion about parts of your design, simply by drawing and annotating a specific area. Simplify your feedback process by having clients, team members comment directly on your screenshot(s). Your team can be the most productive when your entire design workflow is in one place from start to finish... the possibilities of use are endless!
Cage (www.cageapp.com)
CAGE is a web-based collaboration tool that allows you to manage projects and share images of your work. Your clients and/or team members can log in and add comments to highlighted areas, furthering the collaboration abilities of your design team. You can manage tasks, show your clients past revisions so they can see the progress you have made and receive approvals in one environment. The service offers a global calendar, full SSL security, and handy email notifications.
Prices begin from $24 per month, the trial period is available but you have to add your credit card details anyway.
Filestage (filestage.io)
Filestage is a simple but still powerful way to review visual contents with clients and co-workers. It takes out the complexity of sharing, reviewing and approving your content. You and your client can annotate videos, images and pdf documents and add change requests. The precise versioning allows you to invoice projects according to the number of revisions. All feedback is automatically turned into an actionable worklist. You can customize Filestage with your own logo. The web tool works very smoothly and fast, the interface is pleasingly simple.
There is a free account plan, and prices begin from $19 per month. A trial offer is also available. No credit card required.
InVision! (www.invisionapp.com)
It's an advanced web-based tool than the above mentioned ones. It contains almost everything you need to complete design projects at a record pace. Prototyping, client feedback, asset management, versioning and more in one interface made by designers for designers. You can upload your design files and add animations, gestures, and transitions to transform your static screens into clickable, interactive prototypes. Simplify your feedback process by having clients, team members, and stakeholders comment directly on your designs. Manage your project screens and statuses from one single location, quickly see unread comments, preview screens, and notify team members when changes to screen status are made. It offers integrations and automatically push & pull activities from Google Drive, slack, Basecamp, Trello, Jira, Dropbox and GitHub straight into InVision.
There is a free Plan (1 prototype) and plan prices begin from $15 per month.
RedPen ( redpen.io )
RedPen is super light-weight visual collaboration web tool. Your client can just point and click to give text feedback. You can ask colleagues and clients for feedback by giving them a private link, or inviting via email. Everyone sees comments live as they happen. Each image (screenshot) can be easily updated or replaced whenever an iteration is made. The tool will keep track of the versions for you. After uploading your file, share your unique link with your client. All they’ll have to do is click your design and leave their thoughts, feedback. If it only supported the upload of images by clients, I’d use it nearly every day.
There is no free plan but 14 days trial period is available. Prices begin from $20 per month.
zipBoard (zipboard.co)
ZipBoard allows you to track tasks, capture issues, and exchange feedback across instructional designers, project managers, subject matter experts and clients. Your clients easily can make notes about proposed changes (directly on a screenshot) and for developers and project managers to track the completion (progress) of those changes in one place.
There is a free Plan (1 project) and plan prices begin from $29 per month.
Summary
Getting feedback and your work approved don't have to be hard, right? What do you think about those tools? Have you had a try-out with it yourself? Is there any similar application(s) that you use for the same purpose? Let us know in the comment section below!
---
Tom & Jerry is property of Warner Bros.
I'd also add Trello for collaboration and project management.