Tutorial: Collaborative Whiteboarding for Remote Teams

This tutorial demonstrates how to use DrawMotive for real-time brainstorming sessions with distributed team members.

Scenario

Your team is spread across multiple locations and needs to brainstorm ideas for a new feature. Instead of a text-based chat, you want a visual workspace where everyone can sketch ideas simultaneously.

Step 1: Create a Shared Diagram

1. Open DrawMotive and create a new diagram
2. Share the diagram link with your team (via Slack, email, or calendar invite)
3. Each team member opens the link in their browser

All participants now see the same canvas. Changes from any user appear for everyone in real time.

Step 2: Divide the Canvas

Assign areas of the canvas to different discussion topics:

1. One person draws rectangles to section off the canvas (e.g., "User Flow", "Data Model", "API Design", "Open Questions")
2. Add text labels as headers for each section
3. Everyone can see the layout and knows where to add their ideas

Step 3: Add Ideas

Each participant adds ideas to the relevant section:

• Sketch rough shapes — Rectangles and lines for rough component layouts
• Add text notes — Short text labels for ideas, questions, and proposals
• Use color coding — Different colors for different priorities or categories
• Draw connections — Lines between related ideas to show relationships

Because DrawMotive uses CRDTs, everyone can draw simultaneously without conflicts. If two people edit the same area, changes merge automatically.

Step 4: Discuss and Refine

As the discussion progresses:

1. Move and group related ideas by dragging shapes
2. Delete ideas that the team eliminates
3. Add constraints to formalize relationships (e.g., connect boxes with lines to show data flow)
4. Annotate with text to capture decisions

The undo feature works per-user — if you accidentally delete someone else's work, they (or you) can undo it without affecting other changes.

Step 5: Capture the Output

When the session wraps up:

1. Export as PNG — Share a snapshot of the whiteboard in your team channel
2. Export as SVG — For inclusion in formal design documents
3. Leave the diagram live — Team members can return to it later to add follow-up notes

Tips for Effective Remote Whiteboarding

• Start with structure — Set up sections before the brainstorm begins so ideas go to the right place
• Use color conventions — Agree on colors beforehand (e.g., green = approved, yellow = needs discussion, red = blocked)
• Keep shapes simple — Rough rectangles and lines are fine for brainstorming; polish later
• Work in different areas — To minimize overlap, each person can claim a section of the canvas
• Offline resilience — If someone's connection drops, they can keep working and their changes sync when they reconnect