Why product teams need virtual whiteboard software
Last updated: August 2024
Virtual whiteboard software is more popular than ever. As remote collaboration has become the new norm for remote and hybrid work environments, whiteboard software offers a number of benefits that make it an excellent replacement for the traditional boards and markers you would find in office conference rooms.
Seems like a no-brainer, right? Virtual whiteboard software is an obvious choice for the same reasons you would choose instant messaging over a fax machine these days. But beyond modern convenience, whiteboard software can boost productivity and collaboration. It can even enhance the specific work you do (if you choose the right kind of whiteboard tool).
Brainstorm, prioritize, collaborate — try virtual whiteboards in Aha! software.
Having a visual space for innovation matters, and especially for product development teams that puzzle over product requirements, create wireframes and mockups, or collaborate on user story mapping. So it is important to choose your tool with intention. This guide covers the different types of virtual whiteboard software, use cases for product teams, and what to look for in a tool. Let's dive in:
What is whiteboard software?
Whiteboard software (or a virtual whiteboard) is a digital tool for capturing ideas, creating diagrams and sketches, and collaborating visually with others. Whiteboard software is 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. Depending on the tool, you might start with a blank canvas or a whiteboard template.
Types of whiteboard software
Many whiteboard tools offer the same core features, such as 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 videoconferencing as well. This broad range of uses makes all-purpose whiteboards appealing to many organizations as a one-size-fits-all solution.
Purpose-built whiteboard software is thoughtfully designed for a particular discipline. It includes features tailored to specific needs and, ideally, integrates with the tools you already use to complete work. For example, virtual 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 functionality and templates geared toward product development tasks, including feature prioritization and PI planning. 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 whiteboard software for your product team, think about how you really want to use it. You will most likely need it for more complex work than a generic whiteboard tool can support. Instead, choose a virtual whiteboard designed for product development that will support everything you do — from ideation to roadmapping.
Related:
How product development teams use whiteboard software
It can be tough to break away from thinking of whiteboards as simple brainstorming tools. But there is a lot hiding under that blank canvas. In addition to creative ideation, product teams can use whiteboard software as a visual space for collaborating on strategy, design, product planning, and more.
It takes a couple of things to do this successfully. You need to choose a tool that is equipped for these use cases. You also need to be intentional about when and how you use your whiteboard software — making a point to incorporate it into your daily work and weekly meetings.
When you take this approach, you might be surprised by the ways you can rely on whiteboards for product management and other tasks. Here are some specific examples of how purpose-built virtual whiteboard software can support different aspects of product development:
Area of product development | Use cases for whiteboard software |
Setting product strategy |
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Product ideation |
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UX and product design |
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Feature prioritization |
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Planning development work |
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Stakeholder updates |
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See the full collection of templates in the Aha! template library.
This graphic shows examples of a few critical features to look for when evaluating virtual whiteboard software.
Aha! Whiteboards is designed for product builders, and we are rapidly adding even more functionality for you. Get started for free and then let us know how we can make our whiteboard tool the best it can be for your team. Start exploring features, including:
A comprehensive set of drawing tools (including text boxes, shapes, sticky notes, connectors, and tables)
Expert-created templates for product development work
Collaboration tools such as comments and voting sessions
Robust wireframing capabilities
A built-in presentation mode
Unlimited guest access
Integrations with Aha! Roadmaps, Jira, and more
FAQs about virtual whiteboard software
What are the main features of an interactive whiteboard?
Virtual whiteboard software for product builders empowers teams to collaborate in real time or asynchronously. Features such as inline comments, voting, and emoji reactions help you collect and discuss stakeholder feedback. Other important features include a library of templates aligned with the stages of product development as well as wireframing and diagramming capabilities. Lastly, integrations with the other tools the product team uses is helpful. (If you use a tool like Aha! Roadmaps, you can convert ideas on your whiteboard directly to actionable work on your roadmap.)
How do you conduct a brainstorming session on an online whiteboard?
Assuming your whiteboard tool includes a built-in brainstorming template, start there. Jot down your session's overarching goal on the whiteboard so everyone is clear on purpose, and share a link to the whiteboard before the session.
Now comes the fun part: the actual brainstorming! Give everyone a chance to add their ideas (we prefer that folks do this on individual sticky notes). Designate someone to group all those ideas by theme, then have teammates add emoji reactions to their favorite ideas or hold a timed voting session to gain consensus. Finally, narrow down ideas based on their popularity and strategic alignment to determine what your team will prioritize.
What is the best interactive whiteboard for remote work?
As product builders for product builders, we launched Aha! Whiteboards with product teams in mind (including distributed ones like our own). You can jump-start your planning process with more than 100 templates for every aspect of product development. Brainstorm ideas, define user flows, build out early-stage plans, prioritize work, and drive stakeholder alignment — all from the same software. Better yet, integrate with Aha! Roadmaps to move concepts from whiteboards to your roadmap seamlessly.
