When it comes to proofing workflows, too many teams are barely surviving and struggling through the same challenges.
Does this sound familiar? You’re having discussions over email, exchanging attachments back and forth, or dealing with convoluted comment chains on Google Docs (we see you, Anonymous Axolotl).
Without the right tools for gathering feedback and approvals, teams hemorrhage time and energy on coordination tasks, leading to missed deadlines and inconsistent output.
But gathering feedback and approvals doesn’t have to be the black hole of your creative workflows. Especially for teams working with high volumes of work, complex projects, or facing tight turnarounds.
There are some actionable, scalable tips that can help improve your proofing workflows. These proofing strategies and tools can reduce friction, deliver faster approvals, and boost productivity.
1. Introduce Proofing Workflows in the Brief
Proofing might come later, but it needs to be part of the plan from the outset.
A high-quality creative brief that sets out clear expectations about the work itself should also explain the plan for the proofing process. This includes how and when feedback will be gathered and who will provide approval.
Clear expectations regarding the proofing process reduce the chance that large-scale revisions will be needed at a late stage due to poorly timed and communicated feedback.
2. Include Clear Roles and Deadlines
Uncertainty about who should do what and when can leave projects in limbo.
Avoid these bottlenecks by assigning roles such as “reviewer” and “approver”, and clearly defining responsibilities.
It’s equally important to set review and approval deadlines upfront (internally and externally), so everyone commits to the timeline and can plan accordingly.
Where possible, you should use automated reminders about deadlines. This way, there’s no need to send manual follow-ups.
3. Ensure Feedback is Collaborative and Centralized
Rather than relying on generic file-sharing systems, centralize feedback with purpose-built online proofing tools.
With ReviewStudio, reviewers can view, comment on, and approve work in one place, using intuitive features specifically designed for online proofing.
Feedback is synchronized, not siloed, reducing the chances of conflicting comments or duplicated feedback. Discussions happen within the tool, synced to the media, and keep everyone in the loop.
Your team shouldn’t have to scramble across platforms. It cuts down time spent on coordination and reduces the chance that feedback gets overlooked.
4. Proofing Sessions Can Be Synced or Async
Online proof tools reduce the need for meetings designed to discuss feedback (in fact, ReviewStudio client Los De Idea estimated the number of meetings they needed would double or triple without the platform).
Strategic live review sessions can be invaluable for certain types of projects. They help resolve conflicts or ambiguities in real-time and enable everyone to pool their creativity.
When live sessions aren’t possible, aim for a thoughtful async approach. Gathering feedback centrally, rather than taking a siloed approach, with notes distributed after a meeting, makes it simple for all stakeholders to stay informed. Nobody is stuck waiting for information, and there’s a clear digital paper trail, so people can get to work immediately.
Knowing when synchronous or asynchronous feedback is required is important. But most importantly is ensuring it is recorded in a centralized and collaborative space.
5. Implement Smarter Versioning
Having multiple versions of a file in circulation can cause real problems. People might comment on the wrong file. Or need to know why and when a particular change was made.
A robust versioning capability takes the guesswork out of the process. It collates versions, storing them sequentially with all associated feedback, and allows for visual comparison, which is a must. It cuts down on ambiguity, maintains momentum, and means the team isn’t stuck in a spiral of rework.
6. Quantify Your Soft Costs in Creative Workflows
Look to use data to identify workflow quagmires and improve future projects. Perform a thorough audit of your current proofing setup that asks:
- How many meetings are spent on feedback and getting approvals?
- How many versions do you typically go through?
- What’s your average time to reach final approval?
- How often does proofing take longer than anticipated, and where are the delays?
This is very tricky as every project can be different. But considering the number of meetings and revisions that you can cut out can help you justify investing in modifying your creative workflows.
7. Develop a Features List to Identify the Best Online Proofing Software for Your Team
Finding the best online proofing software for your needs will take some research, but creating a list of must-have criteria for your particular workflows will make your evaluation easier.
We have a full online proofing checklist, but here are a few things to consider:
- Media Formats: Does it allow you to proof all your media files in one space?
- Scalability: Can it scale beyond a single team or group?
- Security: Does it comply with your security protocols?
- UX: Is it easy for all stakeholders to understand?
- Workflows: Does the tool match your current workflow process without much of a learning curve or need to modify behavior?
When it comes to enterprise online proofing solutions, specialized tools like ReviewStudio outperform general-purpose platforms. Online proofing is designed to speed up complex processes, flex, and scale.
Upgrade Your Proofing Workflow
By streamlining your proofing workflow, you will reduce errors, increase productivity, and deliver faster. Audit your current processes, then try a purpose-built online proofing service like ReviewStudio and see what you can achieve.
