UX/UI Design Jobs: 5 Best Tools for Remote Working During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Remote working (or “work-from-home”, “online job”, “virtual team”, whatever you call it) is not new. More and more companies shift to remote working because it gives more flexibility for both employers and employees. It’s a win-win situation.

Remote working also provides more opportunities for employers and employees.

For employees, it means more job opportunities – regardless where you are, whether you’re in the US, Asia, Europe or anywhere else in the world (and of course, your employer and teammates could be in different continents!) For employers, it means more potential in hiring more talents – since your hiring range is not limited to your geography, you can meet and hire talents across the globe.

Despite its popularity, not all companies or individual employers took advantage of remote working. Some still relied on the traditional work system – mainly, going to the office and conducting work there.

But after the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic struck, companies and employers are forced to adapt remote working. But because it is a sudden shift, they’re just starting out to test this new system. It will take a while before they and their team get used to it.

If you’re a head of a UX/UI agency or team, and you’re just starting out to implement the remote working system, one thing you should know is that there are tools that are specifically designed for this setting.

Many employers begin by using social media (such as Facebook) or communication tools (such as Skype) when communicating and directing their team. Not only these tools are not designed for such purposes, but they also may not be able to meet your needs (for instance, Skype is not great for holding big virtual conferences).

It’s important you learn about these tools right away and be sure to test them out as soon as possible. As mentioned above, these tools are made specifically for remote working, so they’re optimized for this setting.

For starters, here are the 5 best remote working tools you can use:

1) Slack

Slack is a communication tool designed for online or remote working. So, unlike common communication tools like Messenger or WhatsApp, you won’t hear any pings from friends and anybody who’s not involved in your work.

Slack helps you communicate with your employees in real-time. You can also create groups if you’re managing two or more teams.

If you’re on the go, you can download Slack on Android or iOS and still get all the features you need!

2) Zoom

If Skype can’t manage big conferences, what else can you use? Well, you already know it – Zoom!

Zoom is a video conferencing tool that is capable of handling small or large participants. So, whether you’re talking to just one person, a small team or you’re holding a large conference of 20+ people, Zoom is the tool you need!

Just like some video communication tools, you can record a call, screen share and, of course, host multiple participants.

Basically, Zoom is a powerful tool if you need to talk with your team through live video.

3) Trello

If you’re looking for a project management tool, look no further than Trello!

Trello is a simple project management tool designed to organize tasks for your team. You can also watch your team’s progress over certain tasks, from beginning until its completion.

Trello is very simple, fast and smooth – and when it comes to project management, you would just want those features for such a tool!

4) Tandem

Well, if you’re going to work online, you might as well set up an “online office”. Tandem is made for such a purpose! Here are some of the benefits if you use Tandem for your team:

You can work through different time zones – with its “Work Mode”, you can see which of your teammate is up and ready for feedback even if you all work on different time zones. No need to lose sleep on waiting for someone to respond to you.

Hang video or voice call – there’s no need to cut your call. Just hang it up as you keep working. That way, it seems that you’re all working together in one table.

Create groups for each team – Create groups based on teams or tasks, and join them in real-time.

5) Notion

Notion has a bit different idea on hand. Instead of providing solutions to common needs we have (like communication, project management, etc.), it tries to solve one thing we less think about, but at the same time, something we are really annoyed at – opening multiple tabs!

You see, opening multiple tabs on your browser – one for email, one for the article you’re working on, 10 articles that you’re reading – is cluttery and makes you less productive.

Notion tries to solve that by creating a platform where you can have all your tabs in one place. It declutters your workplace and it will help you be more productive!

6) Xtensio

If you’re looking for a time-saving and innovative collaboration platform, Xtensio is a must try!

Xtensio is a communication platform, collaborative workspace and project management tool rolled into one. It offers editable templates for UX designs, reporting, sales, marketing and a lot more.

Xtensio is the easiest way for teams to create, manage, share, present and export anything from simple strategy docs to pitches agendas, reports and other business and marketing collateral.

Conclusion

These are just some of the tools you can use for your remote working system. As you can see, each tool meets different needs, so you may want to check them out all as well.

Stay safe always!