Collaboration can be difficult especially when you are a creative working with clients or sales teams. Sharing your ideas or even just communicating ideas between groups can be challenging without the right resources. Here is a list of the top 10 collaboration tools that will help you collaborate with creatives and non-creatives alike.

1. Zeplin: Zeplin is a collaboration tool that helps to bridge the gap between the design being created and the developers making it a reality. By doing things like implementing an easy to access style guide, a quick list that shows what colors, fonts and shapes a design should be using for any given moment, the design process can be about design and not about constraints. Likewise, on the development side, Zeplin has features that allow you to inspect the specs you need for each platform making it easy to see what information you need. These and many other features, coupled with the fact that it has direct Slack connectivity, makes Zeplin one of the most powerful collaboration tools.

1. Slack: Slack is a popular business messaging app that is both versatile and easy to use. Slack makes it easy to connect quickly with a single team member or the entire team itself. Much like creating folders and subfolders for your files, this app will let you organize conversations under larger conversation topics. Despite Slack’s open design privacy can be easily gained, private chats can be created that will not show up on your team’s message history. Like any good messaging system, it also has video messaging system that integrates seamlessly it your messages, making it easy to collaborate with your creative team.

1. Basecamp: Project management software Basecamp is a simple board with status cards that can be broken up into three categories: company wide information, team information and specific project groups. In each one of these categories status, information and files can be posted for easy collaboration. The best part of this system is that all members of company can see everything that is being done so that it is easy to stay up to date with other members, but only those assigned to each card can edit the information on it. This holistic approach to project management has proven to be effective for over a decade and will continue to be effective for collaboration.

1. Wrike: Wrike is another project management software that can be customized to suit any need a design team may have. By letting you not only see a team’s progress on project but also the amount of resources and time spent all in easy to read infographics, Wrike makes it easy for a project manager to stay on top of projects and deadlines. With request automation and real time editing and feedback Wrike is a powerful solution for project managing creative teams.

1. Trello: Trello is an application that serves double duty as both a team-oriented message board and a project organization tool. Trello lets you create personalized “to do” cards that can be assigned to team members. Each card can be color coded to make sure that each team member knows their responsibilities at a glance. These cards can also be customized to hold data such as files and images and can be commented on directly which helps to reduce the clutter of a typical message board. These features alongside the application’s multiplatform availability makes it a smart solution to a long standing collaborative problem.

1. InVision: InVision is a powerful project management software for web design. It has the ability make quick and functional prototypes of a design that can easily be shared with other members of the team. Once shared, it is easy to collaborate and discuss areas of the design directly. If necessary, InVision even has the ability to Freehand sketch in real time with your team. Along with other project management features like project communication overview and guided design tours InVision shows why it is so widely used

1. ZohoOne: Zoho One is a self-contained business operations suite that can be integrated into all aspects of a business. This operations suite comes with 35 apps that can be downloaded to any mac or windows computer for easy access. It also boasts over 40 applications for mobile so that anyone can stay connected at any time. With collaboration in mind Zoho One includes private email, team chat, editable tables and spreadsheets, file storage, management overview applications and much more. This suite has many different functions and is a good way of bringing several teams and branches together for effective collaboration.

1. Mural: Mural is an idea and design management board. It operates similarly to putting sticky notes and pictures on a typical design board. This simplicity is built upon in some unique ways however, Mural allows you to not only place words but draw quick sketches on these sticky notes to collaborate visually and verbally. Along with sticky notes you can places images, YouTube videos, and other files onto the board. The board itself can be split up into several sections for organizational purposes and like any good collaboration software Mural also includes a detailed history of the work done on the board. These factors make Mural an example of one of the most quick, simple, and effective collaboration tools.

1. Prevue: Is a design presentation software that makes it easy to collaborate and communicate with designers and the teams surrounding them. With features like simple drag and drop file uploads, instant sharing to team members and clients through the app, and simple and direct collaboration tools Prevue makes it easy to keep all your design work in one place. Prevue works for all types of browsers so that any client can access your content. This app also makes it easy for team members to be added to projects to collaborate and comment in real time.

1. Ashore: Ashore is a web-based app that automates approval and workflow for digital files. Ashore allows anyone in the design process to see, comment and approve a design even if they do not have an account with the app. All communication about a design can be handled on this platform and most types of files can be easily added to a project. Once a project is uploaded, automated responses and requests can be set so feedback will be given in a timely and productive manner. Of all the collaboration tools available, Ashore promises to be an effective platform for those needing quick, concise, and easy to see design approval.

All of these applications and softwares would be a great addition to your collaborative success but their is one that stands out, Ashore. Ashore is easy to use, modestly priced and filled to the brim with features that make collaboration between you, a creative, and your client a breeze.

Visit Ashore today so that your work is never lost at sea.