ClickUp is to project management what Dubsado is to client management: game-changing. ClickUp has changed the face of project management and increased functionality for designers everywhere. You can learn more about project management systems in general or learn why ClickUp is the best in my opinion. You’ll learn two truths. 

• Truth 1: Designers need a project management system (PMS). 

• Truth 2: ClickUp is as robust as it is overwhelming, but it’s the most comprehensive PMS on the market. 

Because of truth #2, an OBM comes in handy when you’re putting your PMS in place. Before looking for help, it’s important to know what you’re asking for help with first. And after this article, you might feel confident enough to put your PMS together on your own!

Below are 5 ways to use ClickUp that will elevate your design studio.

Spaces

Spaces are where you have different aspects of your business or different design packages. Think of spaces like a physical office. You may have different departments in different areas (Marketing in one area versus HR in another) or different spaces where you have multiple tasks (large board room in one area versus think tank space in another). You might have spaces for marketing, goals, and clients, or you might have spaces for social posts, marketing efforts, branding packages, and website packages. Spaces are completely customizable and adjustable. You can make a space private or public. You can customize the statuses, ClickApps, and views. If you mess up, don’t like the format, or want to change something, you can. 

HOW I USE IT

In my design business, I have an entire space where I create and keep all of my templates for folders, lists, and documents. I love being able to house everything I need in one area, so I don’t have to go outside of that space. I can easily copy what I need over to another area. 

TIPS AND TRICKS

Spaces and workspaces are different! Spaces are your own spaces (as described above). Workspace is a higher level than spaces (think corporate headquarters). You spend most of your time in spaces, but you might need to pop into your workspace on occasion. 

Statuses

Statuses are basically your process, or workflow, within a space. Think of statuses as the daily--weekly--monthly meetings status updates you have with clients and with your team. You might have statuses for different spaces, different groups, and different lists. Statuses are customizable and keep you, your clients, and your team aware of current tasks in your workflow as well as the complete status of your project. 

HOW I USE IT

I use checklists within specific statuses. If I have a series in my workflow, I like to create a checklist to match that workflow system. It may seem like twice the work, but when I’m working with and relying on others, it’s a great confirmation that a task was completed. You can also create dependencies, so unless one task is done, another task cannot be completed. 

TIPS AND TRICKS

Statuses have to be created within lists. Lists are the container for tasks that flow through a status. Your status is the overarching process that you set up within a space, but you have to create a list for the status to show up.

Templates

Templates provide your design business with consistency, but they also streamline processes to work for you. With ClickUp templates, you never have to custom create a project folder again! Simply create one template per service (or even all of your services) and save that template for later use. If you’re struggling to know what to put in the template, ClickUp has templates for you. You can use or customize their template or start from scratch. You can save timelines, statuses, subtasks, and checklists. 

HOW I USE IT

I use templates like they are the 90’s R&B soundtrack that gets me through the day. I use tons of templates, but I especially love the descriptions. Instead of typing the same thing multiple times, I simply save the template description and copy, copy, copy. 

TIPS AND TRICKS

Browse the designer templates! ClickUp has put together an entire set of templates for designers by designers. When you’re putting your systems together for the first time, it can be overwhelming. You also may not know what you need to include if you’re adding other areas outside of design. All of the templates are worth checking out, but the areas that you feel weak in are already boxed up in a neat little package for you. 

Dashboard

Dashboards are an evolving feature in ClickUp. You have a dashboard where you can specify widgets that you use frequently. If you use ClickUp for all aspects of your business, you probably have assigned due dates and assignees to specific tasks. You can add those to your dashboard to create an at-a-glance view of everything in your business.

HOW I USE IT

This newer feature has slowly crept its way into my day-to-day life. I use dashboards to quickly access important information. Specifically, I like to use the pie chart widget to show completion of large projects; overdue and high-priority task widgets to show the tasks that meet that criteria; and even a task list widget to show all of the tasks due in the next week. I love these for myself and for my team.

TIPS AND TRICKS

Dashboards are new, so ClickUp is constantly adding to the Beta version. Check in frequently to find new widgets. The layout of the widgets can be manipulated, too. Simply drag a widget from the corners to resize it, or pick it up to move it to another space.

Box views

If you have a team, this paid feature in ClickUp is totally worth it. You have a large variety of views available to you and your team: lists, board, and calendar are popular views, but box is proving to be a strong contender for teams. With box view, you can see all the tasks in a workspace, folder, or list that are separated by the assignee. You’ll see what every person on your team has been working on and all of the unassigned tasks in that list, folder, or space. At a quick glance, you can see who is overworked and who is lagging behind, and you can assign tasks quickly with a simple pick up and drag. 

HOW I USE IT

As a team lead, this view is amazing. It helps me to make sure all of the tasks and projects are completed on time by seeing who needs a nudge. It also helps to make sure team members aren’t overworked with too many tasks. 

TIPS AND TRICKS

You can save your box view, so you can refer to it often. You can also adjust your settings to focus on what you want to see. 

ClickUp is the PMS for you designers who want their businesses to flow systematically and seamlessly.