Collaboration tools are often overlooked in the contribution they make to fostering teamwork and enhancing productivity.  As a lean agency working across a multitude of projects and clients, we rely on these tools to enable our teams to harness their collective creativity and expertise.  

From streamlining workflows to sharing ideas, feedback and resources, we use a range of tools that support and help create our collaborative culture. The right tools also positively impact project turnaround times and, for us as an agency, facilitate an increase in client satisfaction.   

Providing improved visibility on status and progress, an easy way to share feedback, track changes and historical interactions, all leads to smarter, more efficient way of working. With remote working and competing priorities across teams and stakeholders now the norm, the right tools can also help to promote inclusivity, innovation and a true sense of co-development. 

We asked the team to provide their recommendations on the tools they couldn’t live without: 

Greg Brine – Digital Project Lead  

Tool of choice: Miro 

If you haven’t had the chance to try Miro yet, imagine this: a giant, infinitely expandable digital whiteboard where every team member, no matter where they are, can add their ideas in real time. It’s like magic for collaboration – whether you’re sketching out wireframes, crafting mind maps, or planning a sprint. 

One of the things that hooked me right from the start was how intuitive Miro is. You don’t need to be a tech wizard to use it. With a few clicks, I was designing workflows, hosting design workshops, and breaking down complex projects into manageable pieces. Tools like Slack and Jira integrate seamlessly, keeping everything connected without adding extra clutter. This is especially important when juggling multiple projects, because Miro becomes a hub where everything ties together. 

Gone are the days of deciphering endless email threads or losing precious hours to version control issues. With Miro, our team works from a single source of truth, and the results are incredible. When running remote strategy sessions, for instance, I’ve seen quieter teammates contribute more freely, their ideas visually represented alongside everyone else's. It fosters a kind of inclusive creativity that’s hard to replicate in traditional settings. 

What I love most about Miro is that it doesn’t feel like a tool – it feels like a space. A virtual collaboration zone where creativity meets productivity, and everyone has a voice. Here’s to more creative breakthroughs, fewer email chains, and teamwork that feels as seamless as it looks on a Miro board. 

Liam Leighton – Designer and UX lead 

Tool of choice: Figma 

Noah Levin, VP of Design at Figma, said: it's about "lowering the floor and raising the ceiling." It’s a concept that feels more relevant than ever as technology reshapes how we create, innovate and grow together. 

This is precisely why I’d call Figma the tool of choice – especially in environments like agencies, where time-sensitive, complex, and cross-disciplinary projects demand seamless collaboration. Tools like Figma have become quintessential for communicating, sharing, and working together in real time. 

As a designer, I’ve found that Figma has expanded the breadth of what I can offer. Its features, like Dev Mode and variables, allow me to communicate with developers more succinctly, while the latest presentation tools let me quickly transpose decks for client presentations. Looking ahead, Figma's investment in AI opens up even more exciting possibilities. The thought of creating designs with simple prompts feels transformative, particularly for rethinking co-design in client contexts where technological acumen might be low. 

Figma isn’t just a tool, it’s a platform that continues to redefine what’s possible in collaborative design. It empowers teams to work smarter, adapt faster, and dream bigger. For me, Figma isn’t just shaping the way we design today – it’s paving the way for how we’ll design tomorrow. 

Laura Carroll – Social Media & Content Lead 

Tool of choice: Trello 

Trello has completely changed how we manage our social media content as a team. With just a few clicks, we can create client or project boards that map out our entire content strategy, moving cards between lists as we progress from initial concept to published posts. As a tool it makes life simple and enables me to focus more of my time on the content strategy and design. 

The real magic happens in the collaboration. My team can jump into our shared boards and leave comments, easily drag and drop video and image files, and update the status of an asset in real-time.  Things need to move fast in social and the creative output is often at its best when a few minds come together on it, in a central and intuitive space. 

No more endless back and forth, or lost feedback – everything is right there on the card, transparent and accessible. The ability to tag team members and clients, and set due dates keeps everyone accountable and aligned, plus visibility that keeps everyone on the same page.  

What I love most is how Trello gives a holistic view of the month ahead, so you can see what all the content looks like together before it's published, and where the gaps might be. Having tried and tested a few social tools over the years, Trello remains my preferred option by far. 

Whether we're brainstorming campaign ideas or managing client feedback, Trello has become the central nervous system of our social operations. 

At Deepend Group, our teams at History Will Be Kind and Deepend are working together more and more across a range of clients to deliver multidisciplinary, cross channel projects – so for us these tools are a staple, enabling us to collaborate with each other and clients at the highest level.  Some of our clients have been known to trial or purchase the tools we use, having experienced the advantages they bring to projects, productivity, collaboration and culture.