Getting Started with zipBoard: A Workflow for Everyone

To get started with zipBoard, create a project, upload your content, add collaborators, share files with guests for feedback, and turn that feedback into prioritized, assigned tasks you can move across boards. This guide walks through each step, then covers a quick-start version and the workflow for zipBoard Enterprise teams.

Watch a short video on getting started with zipBoard:

Remote teams need the right systems. For text and presentations you can use tools like Google Docs and Slides, but reviewing content and getting feedback calls for a solution with three main components:

1. Capture stakeholder reviews and feedback
2. Triage the feedback into your internal workflow
3. Manage issues and tasks

zipBoard is designed around these requirements. Before you begin, make sure you have signed up for the free trial and are logged in. If you haven't signed up yet, sign up for a free account here.

Step 1: Create a new project

Once you are logged in, click the big plus button to create a new project. Add a title and description. If you use a custom project ID in your workflow, you can add that too.

Step 2: Upload content

Next, add content for review. zipBoard lets you share quick feedback on working content like webpages, web apps, eLearning courses, PDF documents, images and videos, and create reviews throughout the development lifecycle using screenshots and annotated screens.

You can add a webpage URL, a zipped SCORM file (for eLearning courses), MP4 files (for videos), image files, PDF documents, or files hosted on cloud storage like Dropbox or Google Docs as links. You can also add more content later by uploading it with tasks and comments.

For a detailed guide, see How to upload and review SCORM/valid HTML content with zipBoard.

Step 3: Add collaborators

Add all team members as collaborators from the start. Collaborators have full visibility of the project and can be assigned tasks to follow up on reviews. You can add more collaborators or guests later, but adding them at the beginning lets you assign tasks and ask for visual reviews right away.

For detailed steps, see this knowledge base article.

Step 4: Share files with guests for review and feedback

You need reviews from clients and external stakeholders without overwhelming them with internal tasks and discussions. zipBoard lets you add guest collaborators who can only review and share feedback. For a detailed guide, refer to our help docs.

Step 5: Turn feedback into tasks or create new tasks

Create tasks based on the feedback so you can track progress. A good practice is to create a task for every piece of feedback you receive. You can create tasks from the review board, the project dashboard, or while commenting on existing tasks.

Step 6: Set priorities for your tasks

Set priorities so you can move quickly on high-priority items. zipBoard offers a drop-down list of priorities to choose from, so collaborators understand the urgency of each task.

zipBoard automatically records the date, time, creator, operating system environment and screen size when you create a task, so you can trace each task if needed.

Step 7: Assign tasks to stakeholders

Assign each task to the person who will complete it and set an approximate ETA. zipBoard supports both an estimated ETA and a real ETA, and its time tracking feature lets you monitor the time taken to finish each task and the project as a whole.

Stakeholders must be added as collaborators before you can assign tasks to them. If you didn't add them earlier, add them now.

Step 8: Move tasks between boards

Projects are organized into three main boards:

1. Backlog
2. Work in Progress
3. Completed

You can also create other boards, such as Future Ideas or anything custom, and move tasks between boards by dragging them or choosing from the drop-down list.

Step 9: Customize your view

Your dashboard has two views: Table view and Kanban view. Switch between them at any time with the toggle right under the project name.

Table view

Kanban view

How do I start with zipBoard quickly?

If you just want the short version, getting started is a three-step process:

1. Create a project and invite your team.
   
2. Add content by clicking Files and URLs. You can upload ZIP files, PDF files, image files or video files, or add a URL.
   
3. If you're reviewing live websites or courses hosted online, add the zipBoard extension (zBReviewBoard) for Google Chrome (or Firefox). PDFs, images, videos, audio and zipped SCORM/HTML files don't need it.

With collaborators and content in place (plus the extension, if you need it), start reviewing by browsing your content and taking screenshots (Screens) wherever needed. You can comment, draw and more on your Screens. For more about reviewing, see What is Review Board?

You can also edit your email preferences and profile picture by clicking Edit settings in your profile.

What is the workflow for zipBoard Enterprise teams?

zipBoard Enterprise helps teams manage projects and collaborate while respecting defined roles and permissions. Follow this workflow:

1. Super admin setup: The super admin signs up for zipBoard Enterprise and provides:
   • Organization name
   • Domain name
   • Whether Single Sign-On (SSO) is required
   • Custom logo for branding
   • Customization preferences, such as statuses, stamps and tags
2. Invite managers and admins: The super admin invites managers and admins to join the organization.
3. Admins define workflows for projects, including:
   • Boards
   • Statuses
   • Integrations
   • Tags
   • Stamps
4. Manager workflow:
   • Managers create new projects within the defined workflows (see the parts of a project).
   • Managers invite collaborators to these projects.
   • Managers add boards to each project as needed.
5. Collaborators contribute content: Collaborators upload content to the projects.
6. Content sharing: Collaborators share the uploaded content with designated reviewers.
7. Review process: Reviewers access the shared content and provide feedback. Video walkthroughs by content type: PDF, URL, Images, Video, ZIP, MP3.
8. Triage and content updates: Project members (managers and collaborators) triage the feedback. Collaborators update the content, and new versions are uploaded to the project.
9. Repeat the review cycle: Repeat steps 5–8 until the content meets the required quality.
10. Reporting: Managers and admins use project reports for monitoring and analysis: Auto-Generated Reports and Generate consolidated reports with zipBoard.

For more on setting up an organization, see Getting Started as Super Admin and Admin in zipBoard.