How to Use zipBoard for Design and Document Reviews (Step-by-Step Guide)

Welcome to Zipboard! This guide walks you through the essentials so you can start collaborating with your team and clients right away. Whether you're reviewing designs, collecting feedback, or managing projects, this article covers everything you need to know.

What is Zipboard?

Zipboard is a visual collaboration and feedback tool that helps teams review creative work (designs, videos, SCORM, PDFs, websites, and more) in one place. Instead of sending files back and forth via email, you upload your work, invite reviewers, and collect feedback with annotations and comments, all tracked in a single dashboard.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Account

Getting started takes just a few minutes.

Create your account by visiting zipboard.co and clicking "Sign Up." Enter your email address and create a password, then check your inbox for a verification link. Click the link to activate your account and you'll be taken to your dashboard.

Step 2: Creating Your First Project

Projects are where all your work lives. Think of a project as a folder that holds files, links, feedback, and team conversations.

To create a project, click the "New Project" button on your dashboard. Give your project a clear name (for example, "Website Redesign - March 2026" or "Brand Guidelines v2"). Add a brief description if you're working with a team so everyone knows the project's purpose.

Upload your files by dragging and dropping them into the project, or click "Upload" to browse your computer.

Supported File Types

zipBoard supports reviewing many types of digital assets including:

✅ PDF documents and drawings

✅ Images and design files

✅ Videos

✅ SCORM and eLearning packages

✅ Live website URLs

Once uploaded, your files appear as reviewable assets.

Learn more about organizing projects and workflow columns. Files in zipBoard are organized using workflow columns rather than traditional folders. Teams often use columns to track stages such as “Plans Issued”, “Under Review”, “Changes Required”, and “Approved.”

Step 3: Inviting Team Members and Clients

Collaboration works best when the right people have access.

Zipboard offers two roles for inviting others to your projects: Collaborators and Clients. Each role has different permissions depending on what you need from them.

To add a collaborator, go to your project and click "Invite." Enter their email address and select "Collaborator" as the role. Collaborators are your internal team—designers, project managers, or anyone working directly on the project. They land directly on their assigned project and can see tasks, leave comments, upload files, and manage work alongside you.

To add a client, use the same invite flow but choose "Client" as the role. Clients are external stakeholders who need to review and approve work but shouldn't have full project access. When inviting a client, you can choose what comments they see: "External comments only" (comments specifically marked for client view) or "All comments" (full visibility into team discussions). This gives you control over how much of your internal process clients can access.

Collaborator vs. Client: Quick Comparison

zipBoard distinguishes between internal collaborators and external clients, allowing teams to control how feedback is shared and managed.

Feature	Collaborator	Client
Access scope	Lands on specific assigned project	Lands on the feedback page
View tasks	Yes	No
Leave comments	Yes	Yes
Upload files	Yes	No
Delete files	Yes	No
Manage project settings	Yes	No
Comment visibility	Sees all comments	Sees external only OR all comments (you choose)
Best for	Internal team, designers, project managers	External reviewers, stakeholders, customers

One of zipBoard’s biggest advantages is the ability to collaborate with external stakeholders without requiring them to learn complex tools. Clients, reviewers, and subject matter experts can access files through simple review links and leave comments directly on the content.

Sometimes you need to share work with someone who doesn't have a Zipboard account. That's where shareable links come in.

To generate a link, open the file or project you want to share and find "Invite". You can customize the link settings: set an expiration date (useful for time-sensitive reviews), require a password for extra security, or allow anyone with the link to comment.

Step 5: Reviewing and Leaving Feedback

To start a review, open any file in your project. The file loads in the review viewer, where you'll see annotation tools on the side or top of the screen.

Using annotation tools lets you draw, highlight, or circle areas for emphasis. Press the pen or shape tool, mark up the file, and add a note. This is especially helpful for design reviews where visual context matters. Each annotation automatically creates a task that appears in the Task List.

Tagging team members notifies them directly. Type "@" followed by their name in your comment, and they'll receive an alert to check your feedback.

Step 6: Resolving Feedback and Tracking Progress

As your team addresses feedback, you'll want to track what's done and what's still pending.

Resolving comments keeps things tidy. When a comment has been addressed, click the checkmark or "Resolve" button.

Adding and Tracking Deadlines for each task. You can add deadlines to each task, sort based on the due date, and customize the priority level of each tasks.

Filtering comments helps you focus. Use the filter options to show only unresolved comments, comments assigned to you, or comments from a specific person. This is useful on busy projects with lots of feedback.

What Teams Use zipBoard For?

Teams commonly use zipBoard for:

✅ Design reviews and approvals

✅ Engineering drawing reviews

✅ eLearning content

✅ QA website feedback and bug tracking

✅ Marketing asset approvals

Next Steps

Once you're comfortable with the basics, explore these guides:

New to zipBoard? Start a free trial and invite your team to review files in minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do reviewers need a zipBoard account?

External reviewers can access files using secure links and leave comments without needing full access to the project.

Can I invite unlimited reviewers?

zipBoard allows teams to invite multiple internal team members and external stakeholders without complicated per-seat licensing.

Can zipBoard edit PDF files?

zipBoard focuses on reviewing and annotating files. If you need to edit document content, update the file in your authoring tool and upload a new version to zipBoard.

Need More Help?

If you run into questions, visit the Zipboard Help Center for detailed articles and video tutorials or contact us at support@zipboard.co