Since the COVID-19 pandemic and the various social restriction measures that have forced teams to work remotely, collaborative whiteboard solutions have become essential for many companies.
The need to think and make decisions collectively and to manage projects visually has led to the emergence of new tools; the legacy office and project management tools did not provide the flexibility of use and facilitation features required to collaborate effectively.
Draft.io is a popular choice in Europe, with big names like Axa, Enedis, and SNCF using it as their visual management platform. Other options include Miro, Mural, and Klaxoon.
Offering the right balance between freedom of representation and the ability to structure visual knowledge
We created Draft.io after realizing that standard office tools like Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Google equivalents, and project management tools were insufficient for collaborative thinking. Draft.io strives to provide the ideal setting for productive collaboration, creative problem-solving, and decision-making.
First, Draft.io is designed to give users the same freedom and flexibility as a physical whiteboard. It allows you to effortlessly gather different types of information and represent them in a manner that makes perfect sense. With this platform, you can easily describe and visualize complex problems flexibly, making it an invaluable tool for working on projects.
Then, Draft.io offers numerous tools to aid in creating workshops or visual management artifacts, which enable users to produce organized and visually appealing content. These tools are designed to save time and enhance collaborative experiences for users.
In addition, some helpful features can make collaboration and decision-making easier. For instance, there’s a voting function that can help to engage everyone and make sure that all opinions are heard. There’s also a polling booth mode that allows people to share their ideas without feeling like they’re being judged or influenced by others. This is a great way to prevent bias and ensure everyone’s ideas are considered equally. Overall, these facilitation features are incredibly valuable and can make a big difference in how successful a meeting or brainstorming session is.
Draft.io offers more than just visual management tools. One of its standout features is its advanced project management dimension. With visual management cards that include multiple fields such as id, status, and priority, keeping track of all the important details is a breeze. Plus, the two-way, real-time integration with Jira makes it even easier to manage projects seamlessly.
What are the differences with Miro?
It’s essential to consider the tool lineage when choosing a platform for your office needs. Draft.io has strong integration with existing suites, which can make the transition smoother and more efficient. On the other hand, Miro’s closed environment can be limiting when it comes to reusing data in other tools. Ultimately, it depends on your specific needs and what you prioritize in a tool.
Moreover, there’s a significant difference in the model used by Miro. Regardless of how often they use the solution, it seems like they charge all users for secure collaboration within an organization. This means that even if someone only uses it once a year, they still have to pay. I think this can quickly add up for companies, especially with their Business plan, which can be quite expensive. This might make it harder for employees to collaborate and share information freely.
Aware that, on average, only around 25% of an organization’s employees are regular users of whiteboard solutions. That is why Draft.io offers a plan that allows companies to pay only the most engaged users. The occasional users can use Draft.io for free on boards shared with them.
What are the key collaboration features of Draft.io?
Polling Booth Mode
The polling booth mode allows participants to think individually without influencing each other. The objective is to prevent anchoring biases. Thus, when this mode is activated, the content of the stickies shared by a participant is not visible to other participants. After participants have shared their ideas, the facilitator can reveal them individually or all at once.
Envelope
Envelopes are incredibly useful when it comes to organizing different objects in a dynamic and flexible way. They allow you to group together different items, ideas, and concepts and then manipulate them as a unit. The concept of envelopes is all about bringing the power of physical manipulation into the digital world to create intuitive and constantly evolving associations. With envelopes, we can take control of our digital environment and make it work for us efficiently and effectively.
Voting Session
The purpose of voting is to make the decision-making process impartial. The voting session feature allows participants to share their opinions without influencing others. It’s anonymous so that everyone can express their thoughts freely. The results can be exported in CSV format and used elsewhere or displayed on the table objects.
Visual Management Card
Visual management is a vital aspect of team alignment and communication. The visual management card plays a significant role in synthesizing the information that is needed for decision-making. It is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of all the relevant data in one place. Moreover, each card can hold up to 11 additional data fields, making it a powerful tool for organizing and analyzing information. With visual management, teams can streamline their processes, reduce errors, and improve overall efficiency.
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