A diagram is the start of everything. The vast majority of app projects are started with a diagram. You can use diagrams to explain the concept of the project you are going to create and how it works. Quick question, what diagramming tool you should use?
In the internet era where collaboration is something inevitable, you need a truly decent tool to create diagrams. Technical features related to the diagram creation are crucial. But, there is a more crucial feature you need to consider as well: the capability of working collaboratively. Cacoo is a diagramming tool that fulfills those aspects. It comes with lots of technical features to allow you to create any sort of diagram as well as the capability of working collaboratively with your teammates.
Haven’t heard about this tool before? Read on to get to know it better.
What is Cacoo?
Cacoo is a diagramming tool. More precisely an online diagramming tool. You can use it to replace traditional diagramming tools like Visio and ConceptDraw to create diagrams for your projects. Since Cacoo is an online tool, you can use it from anywhere (as long as you have an internet connection), regardless of the operating system you use. No additional application is needed to be installed. Just access the website of Cacoo on your browser and can start working.
It is also possible if you want to make a switch from a traditional diagramming tool (desktop-based), say Visio, to Cacoo. This diagramming tool has compatibility with Visio. You can open as well as edit Visio files (VSD and VDX) using this tool. Making a switch from desktop-based diagramming tool to Cacoo won’t be a serious problem since Cacoo has a desktop app-like interface. It has a toolbar on the top side of the app window to make it easy for you to access the tools. It also supports a bunch of keyboard shortcuts to streamline your workflow.
Following is the glancing look of Cacoo.
Features
As mentioned earlier, Cacoo comes with technical features related to diagram creation. It offers a bunch of elements you can add to the diagram you are working on. The elements are put together into several categories to ease your job to find the elements you need. For instance, if you want to create a diagram concept of an app, you can go Shapes -> Software. There are lots of shapes you can select here. You can even find more specific platform categories under the Shapes -> Software category. This is great since it can be time-saving to find elements according to the app platform you want to develop
You don’t have to always start from scratch when working with Cacoo. The tool offers pre-made diagram templates to save you time in creating the diagram. You can also use the templates in case you have no idea about the diagram you need to create. You can find diagram templates from a wide range of categories. From flowchart diagrams, mind maps, network diagrams, UML diagrams, WBS diagrams and so on. To access these templates, you can click the Templates menu on the left panel
You might be wondering, does this tool have a feature to manage the diagrams you have created? Yes, it does.
File manager is another handy feature offered by Cacoo to keep your diagrams get organized. You can create folders to manage all of the diagrams you created with Cacoo. There are two types of folders you can create: private and shared folder. Shared folders are folders for collaborative works. You can invite your team members to join a shared folder and they will be able to edit diagrams inside the folder.
Another great feature offered by Cacoo is integration. It supports integrations with popular services like Dropbox, box, and Adobe Creative Cloud. The Cacoo integration with Adobe Creative Cloud allows you to import PSD, AI, INDD and ESP files directly from Adobe Creative Cloud Assets.
How to work collaboratively in Cacoo
What makes Cacoo different from desktop-based diagramming tools is that it allows you to work collaboratively with your teammates, be it in the same room or remotely. In order to be able to work collaboratively, you need to invite your team members first.
As we have mentioned above, you can create a shared folder on Cacoo and invite your team members to join the folder. The joined members will be able to edit diagrams inside the folders. To add collaborators, you can hover your mouse over a shared folder and click the three-dot button to edit the folder. On the appearing pop-up, you can click the plus button on the Collaborator option.
For better teamwork, Cacoo also allows you to leave a comment. You can, for instance, add a comment on a certain part of the diagram to your team members to edit it. When adding a comment, you can also mention your team members. You can make use of this feature (mention) to assign editing on certain parts of the diagram.
Cacoo will notify your team members if there are new comments added. Furthermore, Cacoo also has a History feature to allow you and your team members to get to know when was a diagram last updated.
Once the diagram gets done, you can export it into PNG, PDF, SVG, PS or PPT format.
The verdict
Cacoo is a great diagramming tool to work collaboratively. Since it is web-based, you and your team members will be able to use the tool no matter the operating system. You can simply access the website of Cacoo on your web browser to use it. While you can use Cacoo to create diagrams, it is also possible to use it to edit PSD, INDD,
AI, INDD and ESP files. Cacoo is integrated with Adobe Creative Cloud platforms, allowing you to import files from Adobe Creative Cloud Assets. Cacoo also has compatibility with Visio. You can use this tool to open and edit VSD and VDX files.
Cacoo itself is a freemium tool. While you can use it for free, there are several handy features you can unlock if you upgrade your account to premium. You don’t have to always start from scratch to create a diagram with Cacoo since this tool also offers diagram templates.