I recently came across an article in the July issue of Inc. Magazine, written by Ryan Underwood, titled “Ok, Everybody, Let's Do This". The article featured several new web-based project management and collaboration tools that have hit the market. As a Contributing Editor for the Project Management Channel on Bright Hub, I was naturally excited to learn about these new applications. And, I was not in the least bit disappointed when I read about a software application called ConceptShare.
ConceptShare is a web-based collaboration tool specifically aimed at visual design professionals. The goal of the application is to provide a collaborative workspace environment to communicate with team
members and project stakeholders.
I was eager to try out this new tool, that I could hopefully utilize on future projects. I subscribed to the basic account that offers:
- One active workspace
- Access for one account manager
- 5MB of file storage
- Unlimited number of users per workspace
- A maximum of three concepts (media) per workspace
This package is offered free of charge. Additional packages that include more features and functions range in price from $19 up to $99 or more a month, depending on your individual needs (see price chart below).
Registration took less than 10 minutes. After that, I was
effortlessly able to add a workspace, upload a picture of me, and add
mark-ups and comments to the picture. I then invited a new user to
have access to the workspace, which was as easy as clicking on ‘add
user’, and typing in the user’s email address to send an invite.
The layout of the workspace makes it simple to navigate. The
placement of the main functionalities: add concepts, add comments,
chat, and people are placed at each of the four corners of the
ConceptShare workspace. The main concept that is currently being worked
on is placed in the middle, somewhat like a designer’s worktable (see workspace image below).
What was most impressive about ConceptShare is the multiple ways you can complete one task. For example, to add a comment to the concept I uploaded, I had three choices from which I could choose:
- The ‘add comment’ section in the top right corner
- A ‘add comment’ button in the bottom right of the workspace
- The ‘File’ drop down menu which included a add comment link
In addition, I was able to scroll through the each comment placed on the concept by using the left and right scroll arrows at the bottom of the screen. Although there are several choices for single tasks, the workspace remains uncluttered and simple to use.
While ConceptShare offers design professionals many features, the main con is it not a fully functional project management application. It doesn’t include any standard project management tools such as MS Project’s scheduling features, Basecamp’s task assignment features, or Nuospace’s WYSIWYG editing. It can be used in conjunction with any project management application when working on a visual design project. For information on other affordable project management tools read Joe Taylor's article, "The Best Project Management Software Packages for under $100."