How to Build a Design Workflow in ClickUp

ClickUp helps creative teams organize projects, standardize feedback, and ship visual content faster than jumping between disconnected design tools. This how-to guide walks you through building a streamlined design workflow step by step.

We will mirror the structure of leading design tools and show you how to replace scattered feedback and files with a unified work hub. Use these steps to move from idea to final creative with fewer revisions and clearer collaboration.

Step 1: Plan Your Design Workspace in ClickUp

Before you start designing, create a structure that keeps projects, tasks, and files easy to find. This replaces messy folders and endless message threads.

Set Up a Space for Design in ClickUp

Create a dedicated Space so your team always knows where design work lives.

1. Create a new Space named “Design” or “Creative”.

2. Choose a color and icon that matches your brand.

3. Add members who will request, produce, or review design assets.

Within that Space, create separate Folders such as:

• Campaigns

• Brand Assets

• Social Media

• Product Screenshots

Create Lists That Mirror Design Pipelines

Lists in ClickUp act like boards that group related tasks. Create a List for each campaign or asset category. For example:

• “Q4 Product Launch” for campaign-specific creative

• “Evergreen Social Graphics” for ongoing content

• “Website Visual Refresh” for UI and marketing page updates

Within each List, you will add tasks for individual design deliverables, such as banners, slides, or thumbnails.

Step 2: Capture Design Requests in ClickUp Tasks

Well-structured requests reduce back-and-forth and extra revisions. Turn every request into a standardized task.

Build a Design Request Template in ClickUp

Create a reusable task template so stakeholders always provide the right information.

1. Create a new task in your Design Space named “Design Request Template”.

2. Add a description layout that includes:

   • Project overview

   • Goal and audience

   • Required formats and sizes

   • Copy or messaging

   • Brand or style guidelines

   • Deadline and priority

3. Turn this task into a template so it can be reused across Lists.

Use Custom Fields in ClickUp for Key Details

Custom Fields make it easy to filter and prioritize work. Add fields such as:

• Asset Type (banner, slide, thumbnail, post, PDF)

• Channel (web, email, social, in-app)

• Complexity (low, medium, high)

• Reviewer or approver

Apply these fields to your design Lists so every task has the same structure and can be sorted quickly.

Step 3: Organize Design Stages with ClickUp Statuses

Statuses keep everyone aligned on where each asset stands in the design pipeline.

Customize Statuses for the Design Lifecycle

In each design List, configure statuses that mirror how work moves from idea to delivery. For example:

• Intake

• Brief Ready

• In Design

• Internal Review

• Client Review

• Revisions

• Approved

• Delivered

Drag and drop design tasks between statuses in Board view to visualize progress like a kanban board.

Use Views in ClickUp to Track Design Work

Different roles need different perspectives. Create these views:

• Board View for designers to see work by status.

• List View for project managers to sort by deadline or assignee.

• Calendar View to visualize launch dates, content calendars, and handoffs.

This helps your team understand upcoming workloads and uncover bottlenecks early.

Step 4: Collaborate on Visuals and Feedback in ClickUp

Design teams often struggle with scattered comments and conflicting feedback. Centralize everything inside each task.

Attach Design Files Directly to ClickUp Tasks

Upload images, mockups, and exported files to the task that represents that asset. You can:

• Attach source files from your computer or cloud storage.

• Link to prototypes or live designs from external tools.

• Keep final versions and past iterations in one place.

This keeps your history of revisions organized and makes it easier to see what changed over time.

Use Comments and Proofing Inside ClickUp

Instead of collecting feedback in email or chat, keep it attached to the design task.

• Use threaded comments to track discussions by topic.

• Mention teammates with @ to assign quick actions or ask questions.

• Pin important decisions so they are easy to find.

With a clear record of every decision, you can avoid re-litigating design choices and keep everyone on the same page.

Step 5: Document Brand and Design Standards in ClickUp Docs

Clear documentation shortens onboarding time and keeps brand consistency across all assets.

Create a Central Brand Hub in ClickUp

Use Docs to build a living style guide for your team.

1. Create a Doc called “Brand Guidelines” within your Design Space.

2. Add sections for logo usage, colors, typography, imagery, and examples.

3. Link reusable assets such as logo files and templates.

Link this Doc in your design request template so every requester can access it before submitting work.

Standardize Reusable Design Templates in ClickUp

Turn common deliverables into templates to shorten production time. For example:

• Ad creative sets

• Slide decks

• Social media posts

Each template task can include:

• A checklist of required variations or sizes

• Links to reusable design components

• Example screenshots of high-performing creatives

Step 6: Manage Deadlines and Workload in ClickUp

Design work needs clear schedules to avoid last-minute rushes and missed launch dates.

Use Time and Priority Fields in ClickUp

Within each design task, set:

• Due dates for each asset or milestone.

• Priority levels (Urgent, High, Normal, Low).

• Estimates for time required, if your team tracks effort.

Sort your Lists by due date or priority to quickly see what needs to be completed first.

Visualize Capacity with ClickUp Views

To prevent burnout and improve predictability:

• Use Calendar views to align design work with campaign schedules.

• Group tasks by assignee to see who is overloaded.

• Review upcoming weeks in advance and move work as needed.

Step 7: Integrate Your Design Tools with ClickUp

You can keep specialized design tools and still use ClickUp as the project hub. This gives you a single source of truth for every asset.

Connect Design Tools and Resources

Link out to key design environments directly from tasks. For example, you can:

• Attach links to design files created in other platforms.

• Store exported assets and approval-ready files in one location.

• Reference training resources, such as design tutorials and tool comparisons, without leaving your workspace.

With this setup, stakeholders visit the ClickUp task to see the latest design status, review links, and final exports.

Step 8: Improve Your Design Process Over Time with ClickUp

Once your design workflow is running, refine it based on data and feedback.

Review Performance and Feedback in ClickUp

Use your finished tasks as a knowledge base:

• Tag tasks that performed well in campaigns.

• Collect notes on what made these creatives effective.

• Update templates and checklists with new best practices.

To go deeper into optimizing workflows and systems around tools like ClickUp, you can explore further resources at Consultevo.

Standardize a Repeatable Design Operating System in ClickUp

As you refine your process, consider:

• Creating a master template for full campaigns.

• Adding automation rules to update statuses or assign reviewers.

• Scheduling recurring design tasks for ongoing content.

With a robust system in place, ClickUp becomes your command center for every visual project, helping your team move from idea to launch with fewer delays, clearer expectations, and better creative outcomes.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

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