ActiveCollab Designer Review

Testing ActiveCollab – A Designer’s Perspective

ActiveCollab is just the piece of software that I’ve been looking for. I have been interested in this program for a while, but cheap as I am, I didn’t want to pay for it. When I got the opportunity to test it for The Web Squeeze, I immediately said yes! Here’s why:

As a (freelance or single) web designer, half my time is spent communicating with clients. That’s what I like about the job, but I thought there had to be a way to communicate more efficiently.  It would be great it I could skip the extra 10 minutes of chit chat you have to do in a phone conversation, because, whether you like it or not, time is money.

That’s where ActiveCollab comes in. It’s a very powerful application you run on your own web server, and it’s installed in minutes. It allows you to create a “to do” list for yourself, set clear deadlines and keep your client(s) informed in a very professional way.

Getting started

I test-drove the small business version, because, well…I have a small business. See the difference between the “Corporate” and Small biz” versions of ActiveCollab here: http://www.ActiveCollab.com/pricing/.

The installation is a breeze. All you have to do is extract the zip file, upload it to your server and run the installation file. After I did that I wanted to click around and learn without the (awesome!) manual, located on the ActiveCollab site, to see how user-friendly it is.  I must say: It’s very intuitive. Buttons are at the right place, the configuration makes sense, and I can see this being a real time-saver.

Features

Like I said in the intro, there’s a difference between the small biz and the corporate version. For me (note, I’m writing “for me”, not “for everyone”) the Small-biz version does what I want.

The only thing I really missed in the small business version, which does exist in the corporate version, is the ticket-system. There are other features that you don’t have in the “small biz” version, but I’ve taken care of those with awesome free applications. For instance, I use Klok (http://klok.mcgraphix.com/klok/index.htm), which runs on Adobe AIR for my time tracking. You can export milestones (deadlines) to iCalendar or Google calendar. I don’t even know what the other options are, but I didn’t miss them.

This version has what a web designer needs: Milestones (deadlines), tasks
(“to do” lists), plus a discussion board.  The board is private with your client and/or co-worker(s) and you can share files, which comes in handy if you want to show drafts to your client.

Personally, I like the fact that it’s not just a project manager, but it’s also a collaboration tool. I outsource some work to a friend developer of mine in the Netherlands (pretty much on the other side of the world from me), and I gave him an account in ActiveCollab. That way, with the time difference and all, he can still communicate with my client and when I get to work the next day, I can see what he discussed with the client.

More details

ActiveCollab is a tool with a natural feel to it. Although there are some things I had to look for, I only needed the manual once. This was for my question “Where do I add a user?” The answer was simple, but hidden. First you make a client profile, and you have to actually be IN the profile to add a user for that client.  That’s pretty much the only “glitch” I could find.

Adding milestones, checklists, discussion threads and files is done in seconds.
The thing I really like is the RSS-feed that’s on pretty much every page. The one on the main page will track all changes made in your projects, or you can choose to subscribe only to the milestones. This way you can use a feed reader to track what’s going on if you’re collaborating with a lot of people, or have a lot of clients breathing down your neck.

There’s also the option to turn features off, so clients can’t see them. Let’s say there’s a project your client doesn’t need right away, but you want to get it done before a certain date for your own piece of mind. You can set the milestones per project visible for only you.

If you’re collaborating with someone on a project you can assign tasks to people. Let’s say you have a designer, PHP developer, and a Flash designer working on one project. You can assign tasks to all of these people. As soon as they’re done with their assignment, they can click “completed”, and the graphic bar will change to the percentage done on the project instantly.

Conclusion

ActiveCollab is a real time-saver, it looks professional, it’s easy to navigate and I’m going to spend $199 to get the Small-biz version. I should have done this a long time ago!

Check out ActiveCollab’s website here.

http://www.activecollab.com/

Designers Rating: 5 out of 5!

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