Real-time multi-user collaborative diagramming

Working in Confluence Cloud has changed forever, real-time multi-user collaborative diagramming

So, Teams 22 has come and gone, and the big news at the show was draw.io new killer feature, real-time Collaboration on drawings inside of Confluence Cloud.

Running Confluence version 17.3.0 or later, Cloud users now have this epic new ability, it’s communication and team working taken to a whole new level.
Real-time Collaboration inside Confluence with all of the advantages that draw.io offers, security, revision history, and a raft of other unbeatable features, we combine standout technical visualization and live cooperation on digital whiteboards.

No other app in the Atlassian ecosystem can even come close.

It was a difficult but necessary transition

It’s no secret the pandemic has changed the way we work, and in those early days of the Covid crisis, it was a little bit of a scramble to find the right tools to allow home working. This era saw the rise of Zoom, Google Meet, and many others.

But in this rush, specific considerations such as security, revision history, and integration were put on the back burner. Instead, the priority was just to get something usable up and running.

Organizations have ended up with a mish-mash of tools and a cumbersome workflow that sort of works but offers zero integration, one tool for technical diagramming, another tool for basic Collaboration, another tool, etc.

New solutions

We at draw.io immediately recognized the challenges home working brought and sought solutions.

Our whiteboard tool was the answer for many companies, but our new Live Collaboration feature has taken this concept to a whole new level.

We are the only diagramming solution integrated inside Confluence that can offer technical diagramming, whiteboarding, and now Live Collaboration.

How to do this?

1. Open a Confluence page,
2. Open the board editor using the macro and create a whiteboard
3. Save the page

That’s it: You can now invite others to join you in editing the diagram.

Now other visitors to that page can open the whiteboard you have just created and join in. It’s really that simple.

But we wanted to add more, and sometimes it’s the simple things that make all of the difference,

Cursor visibility

draw.io allows you to control cursor visibility. What does this mean? There are times when it’s good to see everyone on a diagram, and there are times when it’s not.
There are times when a bunch of colored cursors whizzing around a screen can be a distraction, if not a bad idea.
Hence, the decision was made that all participants’ cursors would come on as the default setting but could be switched off easily when needed. In addition, you can control the visibility of your own cursor.

Cursor visibility:

Simply click on the hamburger menu (top left of screen). Select preferences and here you will have access to cursor visibility.

• Show remote mouse cursors – allows you to view your colleague’s cursors and toggle them on or off
• Share mouse cursor – This allows you to control your cursors visibility to others, you can choose to go stealth or opt for 100% visibility

So let’s look at a few scenarios

• Change management tools: Urgent and genuine feedback is needed on a general idea. This is ideal for entire team visibility as everyone can see everyone else’s thoughts all live. It might be a resistance graph or a brainstorming session. Everyone can converse freely in the early stages of an idea. In fact, watching colleagues work can spark inspiration and encourage participation

• You are pitching an idea to a customer, and the client asks a question or perhaps changes the requirement specification. Of course, you could never have planned for these what-if scenarios, and yes, these awkward questions or proposals do arise during meetings, however, with collaborative whiteboarding. It’s just a matter of asking for more information. The client can flesh out their requirements on a diagram live, they draw the issue, and your team can respond instantly with a solution.

No confusion, just effective visual communication, all live

Active cursors help see who is doing what. The client or customer can be clearly seen explaining or diagramming the issue and vice versa. The client can watch possible solutions appear, knowing precisely who is diagramming and asking the right questions to the right person.

Our connected world

Your dev team may be in Bangalore, sales in London, and the corporate HQ in Dallas. Projects have become international, and that’s a good thing. Different cultures can bring new and different solutions to problems.

We at draw.io are also an international company, and we think internationally, every single feature, trivial or perhaps not so trivial, is carefully examined and thought out. draw.io is a tool designed to help you and your team collaborate and create. We always listen to our users and continually refine and develop the tool based on your feedback. To help you, our customers work better regardless of who you are or where you are.

It can be the small things that make the biggest differences

Staff or employees constitute a high cost in any business, and companies appreciate how good management can maximize productivity. So it’s all about people skills, and the smallest of features in software can help cement international collaboration.

A well-run team is on fire, ideas flow, people help each other, happy people generate a feel-good atmosphere, time flies, productivity soars, and departments genuinely enjoy their work.

Good management knows it needs to communicate with its teams individually and in group scenarios. Very good management knows that taking the spotlight off individuals can be a good thing on occasions. Less pressure can equal more creativity.

Stealth Mode – cursors on/off

Enter stealth mode. Ok, everyone cursors off, now everybody, please indicate your resistance to this idea. And everyone, please add a comment to a yellow sticky and drag it onto the diagram. Good, bad, indifferent, it is all welcome. Now the team has a chance to really express their thoughts and concerns openly.

Teams only function efficiently if thoughts and opinions can be expressed freely

And that’s why draw.io gives you a choice. So whoever running the meeting can decide to go Stealth. So honest opinions can be freely expressed, and that’s a good thing.

draw.io’s continuing evolution

Every single feature in draw.io is carefully considered and thought out. It’s more than just software features. It’s how real people use the tool in real work scenarios. Our job is to make your diagramming job easier; that’s draw.io.

Keen to learn more, visit our YouTube Channel for a constantly updated playlist of how-to videos.
Visit our one-stop tutorial shop to pick up all the ins and outs of draw.io diagramming.
Or book a free no-obligation demo to learn more about the limitless ways in which draw.io can make life easier and more productive for you and everyone in (and outside) your company!
Happy diagramming!