Why product teams need virtual whiteboarding software
Last updated: April 2024
Whiteboard software is growing in popularity as more companies embrace remote and hybrid work environments. In addition to being accessible from anywhere, virtual whiteboards offer a number of benefits that make them excellent replacements for traditional ones:
Drawing, diagramming, and wireframing
Ability to save and share with others
Seems like a no-brainer, right? A virtual whiteboard is an obvious choice for the same reasons you would choose instant messaging over a fax machine these days. But beyond modern convenience, virtual whiteboards can boost productivity and collaboration — especially for product development teams that puzzle over product requirements, create wireframes and mockups, or do user story mapping to give the team the context they need to build the right solution.
Whiteboards in Aha! software include built-in templates. Try them now.
This guide covers the different types of virtual whiteboards, use cases for product teams, and what to look for in a tool. Let's dive in:
What is a virtual whiteboard?
A virtual whiteboard is a digital tool for capturing thoughts, creating diagrams and sketches, and collaborating on ideas with others. Depending on the tool, you may start with a blank canvas or have the option to choose from a library of whiteboard templates. Virtual whiteboards are especially helpful for facilitating both real-time and asynchronous collaboration on remote teams. Everyone can view the same whiteboards at their convenience, in their own time zones — without worrying about the contents getting erased.
Types of virtual whiteboards
Many whiteboarding tools offer the same core features like templates and live collaboration. But you can generally separate them into two categories — all-purpose and purpose-built.
All-purpose whiteboard tools are made for anyone to use. Meant to replace physical in-office whiteboards, many include templates for a wide mix of uses — everything from team icebreakers to IT work order processes and sales presentations. Some support video conferencing as well. This broad range of uses makes all-purpose whiteboards appealing to many organizations for online collaboration.
Purpose-built virtual whiteboards are thoughtfully designed for a particular discipline. They include features tailored to specific audiences and ideally integrate with tools you already use to get work done. For example, whiteboard tools exist for teachers that help with lesson planning and connect with learning management systems.
This was our thinking when we developed Aha! Whiteboards — as fellow product builders, we wanted a virtual whiteboard made for our daily work. Our software includes templates geared toward product development tasks, like feature prioritization and customer journey mapping. Aha! Whiteboards also integrates seamlessly with Aha! Roadmaps so you can connect ideas to actionable roadmap items within the same software environment.
If you are considering a virtual whiteboard for your product team, think about how you really want to use it. Most likely you will need it for more complex work than a generic whiteboard tool can support. Instead, choose a virtual whiteboard designed for product development that will enhance everything you do — from creative brainstorming to roadmap planning.
Related:
How product development teams use virtual whiteboards
While "product team" can refer to the core product management and UX groups, we consider the broader product development team to be more cross-functional — encompassing engineering, product marketing, and customer support teams as well. Virtual whiteboarding is effective for each of these teams as a way to organize information, whiteboard new ideas, and collaborate with peers.
Here are a few examples of how virtual whiteboards come in handy for product building:
Team | Use cases for virtual whiteboards |
Customer support |
|
Engineering |
|
Leadership |
|
Product management |
|
Product marketing |
|
Sales |
|
UX |
|
The example below shows one way to use the pros and cons template in Aha! software. In this example, we sketch out the viability of various approaches and then identify our preferred path forward. Sticky notes on the whiteboard can be converted into real work items in Aha! Roadmaps — so we do not lose momentum or need to duplicate work.
See the full collection of templates in the Aha! template library.
Related:
What to look for in a virtual whiteboard
What makes an exceptional virtual whiteboard? An all-purpose whiteboard may offer the most versatility. But something intended for general use will not always give you everything you need.
If you work in an area that requires a tightly integrated tech stack, agile workflows, and rapid innovation — like product development — purpose-built virtual whiteboards are the way to go.
With that in mind, here is a checklist of what to look for:
Templates included that apply to your work
Engaging visual elements like shapes, digital sticky notes, and emojis
Real-time or asynchronous collaboration and sharing
Ability to save multiple whiteboards and view version history
Purpose-built features for your type of work, business model, or industry
Integrations with the tools you use to manage your daily work
Ability to connect items on the whiteboard with real work on your product roadmap
Host team retrospectives on a whiteboard.
Aha! Whiteboards is designed to help you do all of the above — and we are rapidly adding even more features for product builders. Get started for free and then let us know how we can make our whiteboarding tool the best it can be for your team.
