Visualise your team convened around a colossal conference table, each participant animatedly presenting their proposals. The scent of fresh coffee wafts through the air, and an attendee nibbles on a biscuit while offering their insights. Amidst this organised chaos, the autonomous workplace culture that you’ve instilled is evident. After much contemplation, a unified strategy begins to emerge. The moment has arrived to plunge into the virtual world, keenly anticipating the results.
One of the most gratifying aspects of your job is to disseminate your proposals and spark enthusiasm among others. Nonetheless, you’re apprehensive that if your team were to work from a remote location, achieving the same level of enthusiasm and energy as when everyone is physically present would be impractical. Is this accurate?
Undoubtedly, your inference was right; this mistake arose due to our inadequate comprehension of InVision, which has a user base exceeding four million.
If you have reservations about online collaboration posing a significant challenge for your enterprise, and therefore think that remote work isn’t feasible, allow us to furnish you with the information that may make you rethink your stance.
InVision App is an exceptional collaboration tool for swiftly designing digital products, thanks to its cloud-based architecture. A geographically distributed team developed and enhanced this innovative software product, showcasing their ability to customise it according to the specifications of their far-flung clients.
- Design Studio is a valuable asset that allows us to create a bespoke resource that meets our exact requirements. Steven Fabre, InVision’s Product Designer, has expressed his admiration, saying, “I utilise the tool frequently, and verifying any inconsistencies is a breeze.”
- Scott Savarie, the Lead Designer at InVision, remarked, “We are, in some ways, our own customers; therefore, we can identify any shortcomings in our product.”
To reiterate, InVision App was built with the intent of facilitating remote teamwork.
InVision allows you and your team to collaborate in real-time with the same level of energy and passion as you would if you were physically present in the same room.
InVision States That Collaborating Digitally Is Always Preferable to Doing So in Person.
InVision’s principles hinge upon the core notion that staff members should have the freedom to work from anywhere. When Clark Valberg, one of the company’s co-founders, was setting up the organisation’s framework, this was the primary impetus. The ideology behind it was that employees shouldn’t have to commute to work if they could perform their tasks remotely.
Regarding remote work, they share our perspective.
- Due to technological and communication advancements, we are no longer constrained to recruiting from a limited area; instead, we can tap into a much wider and more diverse pool of talent from every corner of the world. This enables us to not only fill our positions with the most qualified individuals, but also to bring a range of unique perspectives and concepts into our organisation. Andrew Cullen, Lead Product Designer at InVision
- The fact that we are not all based in the same location should not impede our capacity to collaborate and produce something truly extraordinary. Billy Kiely, Vice President of Product Design at InVision
- “I am more productive working remotely than I would be in a traditional office setting.” Bill Kiely
So, what makes virtual collaboration better than in-person collaboration? While working together on the InVision app, your team can:
- Use their Freehand on a digital whiteboard to create lasting drafts of their ideas, which can be shared with others.
- Build interactive prototypes (in Studio) and promptly identify any issues.
- Efficiently gather feedback and recommendations.
- Rapidly iterate, produce new versions, and enhance your product.
- Promote consistency by centralising your team’s ideas in one place (such as the InVision Board).
- Facilitate a seamless transition from the design phase to the development phase (where the development team can access the design team’s work).
If done manually, this entire process could take several weeks. However, by adopting digital methods, your company can accomplish the same task in just one-fifth of that time.
InVision provides a range of digital collaboration tools.
InVision’s Remarkable Growth, Made Possible by the Cloud
Despite having an office in New York, they have always maintained their independence.
In 2013, InVision was established by Ben Nadel and Clark Valberg. Despite starting out as a small team, the company has grown to include a remote workforce of almost a thousand individuals from all over the world, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Israel, Nigeria, Arizona, California, Portland, and Glasgow.
The initial funding for InVision was provided by angel investors. Over the course of seven rounds of investment, the company has raised around $235 million, which has been utilised to acquire nine different technology start-ups, including renowned enterprises like Muzli, TrackDuck, and Wave.
While following traditional growth approaches, their expansion has been swifter as they haven’t needed to invest in extensive infrastructure like bigger office spaces and expensive equipment.
Being only seven years old, InVision has achieved more than any IT startup could have imagined.
Tools that Enable InVision’s Remote Workers to Be Productive
For any business to succeed, it is critical to have highly motivated remote staff and provide them with the best possible equipment to perform their duties efficiently. At InVision, we place great emphasis on these factors and implement an array of tools to ensure our remote employees have everything they need to be productive and efficient. These tools include:
- Slack for Communication
- Online Video Conferencing with Zoom
- Collaborative Group Work with InVision
- GitHub for Online Collaboration and Coding Resources
- Trello for Project Management
- Dashlane for Password Management
- Google Drive for Data Storage and Management Tips
- Zapier for Streamlining Processes
- World Time Buddy for Time Zone Conversion
At InVision, our digital content developer Will Fanguy provides valuable insights on the benefits of these remote technologies.
- Avoid Making Assumptions about Your Team’s Knowledge and Comprehension
- Spending a few hours every day communicating with your team can have a significant impact
- A Simple Phone Call Can Be Effective
Zoom Meeting with InVision Staff
InVision, a Completely Remote Company, Has Taught Us 7 Invaluable Lessons
Continuous hunger for knowledge is essential for remote work success.
InVision offers all employees a tuition reimbursement program and a series of in-depth evaluations of successful company practices, aptly named “Secret Sauce”.
Honesty is crucial when working remotely.
Andrew Cullen and Will Fanguy have stressed the significance of keeping the team informed, communicating regularly, and ensuring an abundance of communication when dealing with a large remote staff. This approach helps to keep employees engaged and active.Remote doesn’t mean isolated –
The InVision team maintains close communication by having regular conversations and meetings every day. They also organize social events and attend conferences to foster team spirit and camaraderie. Additionally, managers hold in-person meetings once a month to ensure team cohesiveness.
San Francisco InVision Team Gathering
Work-life balance is not just a theoretical idea –
It is crucial to prevent employees from overworking and burning out. Providing free gym memberships and unlimited vacation time may be necessary. While being passionate about one’s career is important, it is equally essential to take care of one’s wellbeing and needs.Isolated locations often operate at a high pace.
InVision provides various technologies that allow for immediate prototyping, enabling the monitoring of any digital product with a single click. This has helped them attract 4 million users and reportedly increased productivity by up to five times. Their substantial growth is attributed to their ability to stay separate from competitors.Obstacles can be overcome.
Regardless of the situation’s difficulty, InVision understands the complexities of remote work. For example, when the team had to quickly expand across various time zones, it posed logistical challenges. To address this, they now schedule their work hours so that they have the same three to four hours of downtime each day.Especially in remote locations, when dealing with people,
InVision has made every effort to prioritize the welfare of their remote workers. They offer extensive medical coverage, grants for essential equipment and travel expenses, and even have a Director of Happiness to maintain staff morale.
The rapid expansion of companies like InVision can be both exhilarating and intimidating. However, success lies in remaining open to new opportunities and being ready for further growth. If you’re ready to embrace remote working, contact us today to learn how we can help you push your business to its full potential.