Regardless of your specialty is in the design industry, learning how to collaborate with others and deliver projects on time is a must. You need to plan workloads in advance, share information efficiently, and keep track of the collective performance progress consistently. Your overall approach to work may be different from what your teammates are used to using, yet the result is always the same: finish the work and get it back to the client!
Looking for an effective business management software for designers and creatives? It’s time to say goodbye to cumbersome spreadsheets, broken communication, and complex apps, and say hello to a highly efficient collaboration process! Read on to learn about the top business management software on the market today and see which one might be the best fit.
- Project Management: actiTIME
- Collaborative Prototyping: InVision
- Business Management: Caflou
- Advertising and Marketing: Celtra
- Digital Asset Management: Bynder
- Social Media Management: Kontentino
- Feedback: Red Pen
- Content Production: StudioBinder
- Video Editing: Clipchamp Video Editing
- App Building: Snappii
Beset Business Management Software for Designers & Creators
1. Project Management: actiTIME
Key features:
- Intuitive interface
- Mobile app
- Powerful reporting
- Progress tracking
actiTIME time tracking software is suitable for web, software, and graphic designers alike. It is flexible enough to meet the varying needs of any type of business and is scalable for different team sizes. This time tracker can help you work in tandem or monitor other designers you may collaborate with on different projects.
If you’re not ready to commit, consider making use of a free version for teams of 3 or fewer users or a 30-day free trial for the larger versions.
We can generate any report we need
One of the greatest features actiTIME offers is customizable reporting. We can generate virtually any report we need, grouped in different ways and only for the people assigned to each project. And if the report is not there, well, it’s really easy to create a new one and save it for future use.
Go for actiTIME! It’s simple, but also very powerful! You won’t regret the decision. The software + support combination makes actiTIME the best tracking solution in the market.
2. Collaborative Prototyping: InVision
Key features:
- Collaborative whiteboard
- Easy feedback
- Brainstorming template
- Integrations
InVision is a digital whiteboard tool created to help designers to brainstorm, create prototypes and share them with each other in an effortless way. It offers plenty of handy templates with different collaboration modes, from project planning and wireframing to mood boards and customer feedback grids. Thanks to them, InVision is easy to adapt to your specific information-sharing needs and collaborate with other members of your team productively.
3. Business Management: Caflou
Key features:
- Cash flow management
- Project tracking
- Automatic notifications
- Mobile access
Are you ready to gain full control of your design business in one, easy-to-use place? Caflou’s intricate but user-friendly design helps you manage your cash flow, track and organize your current and future projects, and monitor any collaborations.
4. Advertising and Marketing: Celtra
Key features:
- Built-in brand controls
- Content repository
- Smart templates
- Integrations
Specifically designed for creative professionals, Celtra can help you automate and scale different aspects of your routine. This management software allows you to do several things. Common tasks like approving designs and delivering your creative assets will be easy.
You can also use different channels and in different formats that suit your client. With this option, you’ll be able to reduce costs and boost efficiency on each project.
5. Digital Asset Management: Bynder
Key features:
- Brand templates
- Workflow management
- Video assets management
- Analytics
Do you want to get on the same page with your teams to create collaborative design projects, offer necessary edits, and provide quick approvals? Bynder is the easiest way to manage all of your digital design assets and auto-format them for whatever channel and file type the project requires.
As a cloud-based option, your creative work will always be available, so you can always keep track of new ideas as soon as the inspiration strikes.
6. Social Media Management: Kontentino
Key features:
- Content creation
- Planning
- Comments
- Reports
Designers in the advertising industry will love how Kontentino allows them to easily collaborate with their clients and get approvals on created content. Additionally, this software offers an analytics section that will enable you to put performance data into context for clients, allowing them to fully understand their digital asset management and how the content performs.
7. Feedback: Red Pen
Key features:
- Fast feedback on visuals
- History of updates
- Intuitive interface
When collaborating on a design project, frequent feedback is vital. And the faster you receive and respond to colleagues’ comments and ideas, the better it is for the entire endeavor. Luckily, with a tool like Red Pen, getting and giving feedback on visuals becomes as easy as pie.
You can upload your prototypes and images to the platform using a simple drag-and-drop interface. You may leave project comments in just several clicks and collaborate with different stakeholders – all in one place. Plus, Red Pen keeps an accurate history of design versions and lets you access any of them whenever a need arises.
8. Content Production: StudioBinder
Key features:
- Script breakdowns
- Shooting schedules
- Task management
- Contact management
In the creative industry, you’re responsible for the production and the creative, which means you have to juggle several different responsibilities. StudioBinder’s design allows you to compile your production calendar, manage any hired freelance talent, create shooting schedules, and more.
Think of this option as a massive production studio wrapped up into a cloud-based software option you can utilize anywhere.
9. Video Editing: Clipchamp Video Editor
Key features:
- Full range of editing features
- Templates
- Integrations
Clipchamp’s easy video editor improves productivity and time management when creating video projects. Pre-loaded with all kinds of creative templates, all one needs to do is drag and drop footage, text and create professional-looking videos in a few minutes. It can even be used to make engaging sales videos, webinar videos (with webcam recorder), training videos (with screen recorder), and all types of social media ads. This can help you manage deadlines while being creative.
10. App Building: Snappii
Key features:
- Intuitive interface
- Flexible setup
- Digital mobile forms
For small-to-mid-sized design agencies, Snappii can help you create rich, user-friendly apps without needing comprehensive coding skills. The apps you can make will feature professional designs and deliver professional results in less time. If you’re hoping to expand your design business or streamline one of your services, this option would be a great fit.
How to Choose the Best Business Management Software for Designers
With so many great business management software options available for design professionals, how do you choose the right one?
Start by taking some time to track your daily routine. What areas are you spending too much time on, and where do you need to allocate extra resources? If most of your day isn’t developing creative assets, you may need to rethink your schedule!
Time tracking and management software’s primary purpose is to help alleviate your business’s day-to-day maintenance so you can focus on doing what you do best: creating great designs!
To learn more about project management and utilizing time tracking software, check out our Knowedlge Hub. For more industry insights and articles about current software trends, read our blog.
