Hightail Spaces provides better collaboration for graphics
One of the most challenging parts about collaborating on visual files has always been the necessity to use a disjointed combination of email threads, Google Docs, Dropbox, instant messages, and text messages to share and get feedback on things like photographs, Web designs, and videos. This method of collaboration is often clumsy and easily misunderstood. The development firm originally known as YouSendIt has focused on solving problems like this, and has launched a new app and service called Hightail Spaces to help improve collaboration on visual assets.
A whole new way to collaborate on visual files
Within Hightail Spaces, you have all of the different services, storage repositories, and communication channels brought together into a single unified location, focused on visual file types. Think Google Docs, but for things like videos and photographs. Using the Zipline within the Hightail Spaces iPhone app, you can review and comment on visual files with simple swipes, making collaboration and commenting easier and faster.
Staying one step ahead of consumer demand
Ranjith Kumaran, the founder and CEO of Hightail, believes Hightail Spaces and the Zipline feature within the app will help visual creators work together more seamlessly.
We’re particularly proud of our patented feature called Zipline, which provides instant context to comments by zooming in on the precise area that a comment is referencing. This is critical if you’re managing feedback on visual files from a mobile device.
Great product, but not yet perfect
Hightail Spaces is great for collaboration, once you figure out how to share your work. The Web page for Hightail Spaces worked great for me on Google Chrome, but hung in Safari and never finished loading. From the Web page, it is very easy to share your assets with others and encourage their feedback.
On the mobile app, unfortunately, things aren’t so intuitive. There is no tutorial to explain this, but if you pay attention to the screen shots on the App Store you learn that a long-press on one of your spaces gives you the option to copy a link to that shared folder to your clipboard. Then, you have to go into your messaging or email app to share the link. The whole process would be much more seamless if, first of all, there was a tutorial. Secondly, it would be great to see a sharing option directly from the app, instead of copying a link to the clipboard.
Getting Hightail Spaces
Hightail Spaces has plenty of potential for helping with collaboration on visual assets like photos, videos, and Web pages. The app is designed for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and requires iOS 8 or later. It’s free to download on the App Store, with no ads or in-app purchases.
