How to collaborate on designs with others?

Design & Visuals, Collaboration & Clients

Jump to tools ↓

This guide shows how to coordinate design work across teams. It covers roles, tools, and a simple review cycle.

Start with a shared workspace and a defined feedback loop. Keep decisions visible and track changes.

Adapt the workflow for your context and scale as needed.

Who is this for?

- Product teams and designers
- Project managers coordinating cross-functional efforts
- Stakeholders providing feedback
- Agencies or freelancers collaborating on a project

Before you start

- Project brief or goals
- Access to the shared design workspace
- Initial design concepts or wireframes
- Stakeholders identified

General Process (How it works)

Define project goals Agree on goals and success metrics with stakeholders.
Create a shared workspace Set up a central place for files and updates.
Assign roles Clarify who does what and deadlines.
Draft initial design concepts Produce rough designs for feedback.
Collect feedback Consolidate feedback in one place.
Iterate designs Incorporate feedback and revise.
Finalize and hand off Prepare assets and documentation.

Jump to tool:

Canva

Figma

🏆 Recommended for this task

🏆 Recommended

Canva

Best for: Designers, marketers, and teams who need an integrated platform for creating visuals, videos, and brand assets.

Free Plan Available$120 / year

How to in Canva

Open Canva Design: Open Canva and navigate to the design you want to collaborate on. If it’s on your Canva home page, click the design thumbnail to open it.
Click Share Button: In the top-right corner of the design, click Share.
Choose Link Sharing Option: In the Share panel, locate the link sharing section and ensure 'Anyone with the link' is selected.
Set Access Level: From the permission options, choose 'Can edit', 'Can comment', or 'Can view'. For collaboration, select 'Can edit'.
Copy Link or Email: Click Copy link to copy the shareable URL. Or enter an email address in the Invite by email field to send via Canva; you can add a message.
Send Invitation: Click the purple Share button to send the invitation or email.
Template Link (Pro Only): For a starting point without editing the original, in the Share panel click See all template link, then Create template link. Copy and share it; you can delete it later.
Test Access: Ask the recipient to open the link and confirm they can edit or comment as intended.
Manage Access: Return to Share anytime to adjust permissions or revoke access by removing collaborators or turning off the link.
Provide Feedback via Comments: Encourage collaborators to use Canva comments to leave feedback and mention team members to notify them.
Version & Activity Tracking: Rely on comments and a clear naming convention to track changes when multiple people edit.
Best Practices: Maintain organized files with clear naming, avoid overwriting originals, and keep a single source of truth for edits.

Try Canva Tool details

This link may be an affiliate link. If you sign up through it, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Alternatives

Figma

Best for: Designers, product teams, and developers who need to ideate, design, prototype, and ship products together. It helps ensure consistency across teams with shared design systems.

Free Plan Available$3 / month

How to in Figma

Open File and Enable Dev Mode: Open the Figma file. In the top toolbar, click Dev Mode to switch to the developer-friendly inspect view.
Mark Ready-for-Dev Section: Select the section to hand off. Click the status badge (Ready for Dev) to set its state for developers.
Annotate Key Details: Use the Pins/Annotations tool to attach notes to frames or elements describing behavior, colors, or spacing.
Measure Spacing: Choose the Measure tool from the toolbar. Hover over the headline, then drag to the top of the frame to capture vertical spacing.
Review Size & Color: Select the element and review the right-hand panel for size (width/height) and color hex values; annotate if needed.
Create Color Variables: Assign color variables in Dev Mode by linking fills to tokens. If color changes, the annotation will update automatically.
Tag Developers in Comments: Open the Comment tool, add notes and tag the recipient with @username to ensure notifications.
Share Handoff Link: Click Share in the top-right, choose Copy Link, and send to the developer with appropriate permissions.
Use Focus View: Switch to Focus View in the right panel to isolate the design piece and hide other canvases.
Review Version History: Open the Versions panel; compare the current version with the previous one to spot changes.
Implement Feedback: Update the design to reflect feedback: copy changes, color tokens, and spacing updates.
Mark as Completed: When the implementation is done, return to the status badge and select Completed to lock the design.

Tool details

Quick Comparison

Tool	Free Plan?	Min Price
Canva	Yes	$120 / year
Figma	Yes	$3 / month

Common beginner mistakes

❌ Not defining roles

❌ Skipping a planning phase

❌ Overloading with feedback

❌ Ignoring accessibility

❌ Not documenting decisions

❌ Failing to set deadlines

❌ Relying on noisy channels (email chat)

Which tool should you choose?

Canva

Canva offers built-in sharing, access control, and template links that streamline collaboration. With clear permission levels, live edits, and reusable template links, teams and clients can contribute efficiently without creating duplicate files or back-and-forth emails. This keeps feedback centralized and reduces version chaos.

Figma

Figma Dev Mode offers an integrated, context-rich handoff environment with live measurements, color tokens, and annotations. This keeps designers and developers in sync, speeds up iteration, and minimizes back-and-forth compared with separate docs or screenshots.