Most team collaboration apps have an intricate design that often leads to users not knowing how to use the product.
A product that is difficult to use will fail in reaching its full potential. The question that must be asked is, “how can developers design a collaboration tool that will reach its full potential?” AirSend has the answer.
Today, we will be reviewing AirSend, a simple collaboration tool for professionals and small teams.
When we asked the AirSend developers how to develop a collaboration tool designed to reach its full potential, they said simplicity. AirSend’s design philosophy is to create a simplistic collaboration tool that is guaranteed to help get work done better and faster.
One of their goals when designing AirSend is to give people an all-in-one workspace that is free of complexity. We put their design to the test. Here is an in-depth review of the simplest collaboration tool on the market, AirSend.
What Makes AirSend the Simplest Collaboration Tool?
One of the big questions the developers had to ask was how to create an all-in-one workspace that is not overwhelming in design but also not confusing in usability. Based on their use cases and studies , most complex tools have many forgotten features. One of the reasons why a collaboration tool does not reach its full potential is the lack of awareness of features.
The reason why users are not aware of certain features is often because of poor design. With that being said, AirSend developers decided to implement the features that were necessary and easy-to-see/use. Below is a list of the key basic features that AirSend offers.
Core Features and Functionality 8.5 out of 10
As I have mentioned before, AirSend is successful for its simplistic design. With its simplistic design, having all the rudimentary features are effortless to spot. Granted, AirSend is still in development, so some features are a little lackluster than others.
However, I find that many of the features I need to collaborate with others are in one space. Meaning I do not need a third-party app or open another tab. AirSend provides users with everything they need and nothing they don’t.
AirSend’s overall functionality is great for power users, such as coders, real estate agents, lawyers, and accountants. The platform also makes it incredibly easy to learn within five minutes of using the product. Essentially, the platform is made for both tech-savvy and non-tech-savvy users. Here is a list of AirSend’s main features.
. Easy Messaging
Once you sign up for AirSend, the first thing the platform will have you do is create a channel. AirSend channels are like the gateway to a workspace. In this workspace, you have all the basic features you need. Further, thanks to AirSend’s super-fast processing, users can create channels and collaborate instantly with anyone.
Each message that is sent has the capability functions of:
- Quoting
- Reactions
- Editing
- Deleting
Users also have the ability to convert a message into an action. Finally, AirSend has the option to make public channels. Public channels are great for starting your own group.
. Built-in File Storage and Organization
AirSend offers various ways to share and store files and folders. One of my favorite methods is through their central file view. As the name “central file view” implies, this is where all users can see the files and folders from all the channels they have joined and created.
Additionally, with renaming capabilities, organizing files are straightforward. Once you upload the document in the desired channel folder in the central file view, that file will instantly appear in the actual channel. In other words, you do not have to worry about uploading the same document twice in two different locations.
Finally, when it comes to file storage and organization, users have the capability to:
- Download
- Rename
- Move
- Delete
Users also have the option to see the previous version of a file. My opinion is that AirSend’s file storage and organizational capabilities are the best features of the product. The best method to create an efficient digitized workspace is to have a type of organizing system. AirSend gives users full reign of organizing files and folders the way they see best.
. Task Management
AirSend also features built-in task management. The platform’s task tracking is relatively simple to use.
Still, it lacks the additional qualities one might find in a task tracking tool. For instance, having a kanban board layout would be fantastic. AirSend would also fare better if they had more options for creating a task. Currently, users can only set reminders, due dates, assign people, and set a description.
. Built-in Note Taking
Think of your built-in note editor as your web editor. Within your note management system, users can plan their weekly tasks, create meeting notes, and create/upload files and folders.
Additionally, make your notes look organized with their Markdown language. Users can also see live edits to their notes in the right preview panel.
. Audio and Video Calling
AirSend’s audio and video calling are by far one of the simplest features to use. AirSend’s conferencing tool also features screen sharing. Once a call is started in AirSend, a link pops up in the middle of the channel, indicating that users can join the call.
Making the calls really easy to use was one of AirSend’s biggest criteria. Most tools, like Zoom and Google Meet, are difficult to start. Additionally, there is almost always a time limit and a limit on how many people can join a meeting. With AirSend, meetings are unlimited to time and to the number of people that join.
. Apps and Integrations
AirSend offers one integration. Office365. The platform’s Office365 integration allows users to edit Microsoft documents and spreadsheets within AirSend. To learn more about Airsend’s Office365 integration, check out their blog . |
AirSend is also featured in Google Marketplace as an extension to Gmail. As a Gmail extension, AirSend users can easily forward important emails to an ongoing conversation in AirSend. Finally, AirSend is available for both Android and Apple.
Google Play Store:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.airsend.android&hl=en_US&gl=US
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/airsend/id1477620991
Design and Ease of Use 9.0 out of 10
Let me start by saying that AirSend is incredibly easy-to-use. While some of its features lack usability, the overall design and use of the product are simple. AirSend’s elegant UI display is consistent, clean, and beautiful. From signing up with AirSend to creating your first channel, AirSend has a modern feel to it.
Additionally, AirSend takes the liberty of labeling their bigger features, such as channels, files, actions, and tabs. However, I felt that the product could use a little more labeling on features that aren’t quite obvious.
One good example is their lack of labeling of buttons in the right-side panel bar of a channel. There were many features I wasn’t aware of until I clicked on them. Instead of spending time testing out each button, it would be helpful if there were labeled buttons.
As mentioned before, AirSend’s design philosophy is to keep things simple. That being said, AirSend allows users to get all their work done with the minimum amount of tools. AirSend is not great for large teams who often need powerups, such as calendar integrations, CRM tools, or charts. However, AirSend is a wonderful tool for small teams starting their business.
Thanks to the straightforward UI, the usability flow of the product is seamless. Another nice aspect of AirSend is its speed. AirSend has various shortcuts, such as drag-and-drop functionality and keyboard shortcuts, to make the workflow faster.
In summation, AirSend’s design could still use more work; however, their current UI design makes the product simple to navigate. I believe AirSend has done an amazing job so far in making the design eye-catching.
Pricing 8 out of 10
AirSend comes with a personal, pro, and business plan. If you sign up before January 15, 2021, you can get AirSend Pro free for one year. For more information on AirSend’s pricing, visit their pricing page . Here are the pricing plans for AirSend.
- Personal – Free
- Unlimited channels to collaborate with clients.
- Unlimited guests.
- Unlimited message history.
- Unlimited notes.
- 5GB file storage, 30 MB file size.
- Unlimited voice, video calls, and screen sharing.
- Create and track actions to stay organized.
- Pro $4/ monthly
- Everything in the Personal plan
- 100 GB file storage
- No file size limit
- Custom branded channels
- Unlimited e-signatures (coming soon)
- Business $99/ monthly (Coming Soon)
- Everything in the Pro plan
- 2 TB file storage
- Create and manage teams
- Team channels
- Priority support.
Security 7.5 out of 10
AirSend takes all the necessary precautions ensuring your data is always safe and available. AirSend maintains its security by offering:
- On-demand data export and deletion
- All user data stored on AWS servers
- SAML/SSO (coming soon)
AirSend also has tight control over data leaks. The platform also has XSS and CSRF in its API, which prevents the hijacking of data. All user data, such as email, cannot be seen by other users in a channel.
Customer Support 10 out of 10
AirSend provides three support options.
Help Guide: https://www.getfilecloud.com/supportdocs/display/AIR/Getting+Started+with+AirSend
Community Support: AirSend Feedback Channel https://live.airsend.io/u/PzjZni
Social Media Support: AirSend is available on Twitter and Facebook . They also have their YouTube channel, where they consistently publish tutorial videos.
Final Verdict
In summation, AirSend is a great product for small team collaboration. With its simplistic design and efficient usability, users literally can get all their work done from one space. AirSend ensures that users can effectively get work done by displaying all their basic features in an elegant layout.
Additionally, their public channel support is outstanding. Throughout our research and user testing of AirSend, the development team quickly responded to our queries.
If you are looking for a simplistic collaboration tool that caters to all your basic needs, I strongly recommend signing up for AirSend. Visit their signup page at https://live.airsend.io/signup . Have you already used AirSend before? Let me know in the comments below what you think about the product.
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