How to Streamline Graphic Design Projects in ClickUp

ClickUp makes it easy to organize graphic design work, manage assets, and collaborate with clients or stakeholders in one place. This step-by-step guide shows you how to turn your design process into a repeatable workflow using boards, Docs, and ready-made templates inspired by the official ClickUp graphic design templates.

Step 1: Plan Your Design Process in ClickUp

Before you start building spaces and tasks, outline the stages your graphic design work usually follows. Mapping this out first will help you translate each step into ClickUp views and fields.

Define your core design stages

Most design teams run through predictable stages, such as:

• Intake and discovery
• Creative brief and approval
• Concept development
• Revision cycles
• Final approval and delivery

Write these stages down and decide which should become statuses and which should be captured as custom fields inside ClickUp.

Choose the right ClickUp hierarchy

Use the ClickUp hierarchy to keep design work clean and scalable:

• Space: “Creative” or “Design Studio”
• Folder: Per brand, client, or major campaign
• List: Specific design types, such as social media, print, website, or motion graphics

This structure lets you reuse the same patterns and templates for every new design request.

Step 2: Set Up Statuses and Custom Fields in ClickUp

Well-defined statuses and fields in ClickUp give you instant visibility into every design request, from initial brief to final handoff.

Create clear design statuses in ClickUp

In your design List, configure statuses that match your workflow. For example:

• New Request
• Brief in Review
• In Design
• Internal QA
• Client Review
• Revisions
• Approved
• Delivered

These statuses let anyone see where a piece of work stands at a glance.

Add custom fields for design details

Use ClickUp custom fields to capture the specs that matter most:

• Design type (social ad, banner, brochure, logo, etc.)
• Dimensions or format
• Platform or placement
• Priority and due date
• Brand or campaign
• File links and asset locations

With these elements in place, designers do not have to chase basic information in scattered emails or chats.

Step 3: Build a Reusable Design Request Template in ClickUp

A consistent intake process is critical for reliable output. Turn your best request layout into a Task template in ClickUp so every stakeholder submits what you need the first time.

Draft a strong creative brief in ClickUp Docs

Create a Doc that will serve as your master creative brief template. Include sections such as:

• Project goal and background
• Target audience and key message
• Deliverables and formats
• Brand guidelines and references
• Copy, mandatory text, and legal notes
• Examples and inspiration

Attach this Doc to your template task so every new request starts from the same structure inside ClickUp.

Turn your brief into a task template in ClickUp

To build the request template:

1. Create a new task called “Design Request Template”.
2. Add checklists for steps like requirements review, asset collection, and final upload.
3. Attach your creative brief Doc and reference files.
4. Set default watchers, assignees, and custom field values where appropriate.
5. Save the task as a template within ClickUp and name it clearly (for example, “Standard Design Request”).

Now, any team member can spin up a fully structured request in seconds.

Step 4: Organize Design Work With ClickUp Views

Once your structure and templates are ready, use specialized views in ClickUp to monitor timelines, workloads, and asset handoffs.

Use Board view to track ClickUp design stages

Switch your List to Board view and group tasks by status. This gives you a Kanban-style pipeline for your studio:

• Drag a task from “New Request” to “In Design” when work begins
• Move to “Client Review” when you send previews or proofs
• Shift to “Revisions” as feedback rolls in
• Drop into “Delivered” when final files are sent

Board view makes it clear where work is stuck and which stage needs attention.

Use Calendar and Gantt views in ClickUp for deadlines

When your schedule gets crowded, use time-based views:

• Calendar view: See all design deadlines by day, week, or month.
• Gantt view: Visualize multi-step campaigns, dependencies, and overlapping work.

These views help you plan studio capacity and avoid overloading designers.

Step 5: Collaborate and Share Assets in ClickUp

Centralizing conversations and files in ClickUp prevents version confusion and email overload.

Manage comments and approvals in ClickUp

Use task comments and threaded replies to keep feedback organized:

• Tag teammates or clients for input and questions
• Attach mockups or links to design previews
• Resolve comments once feedback is addressed

Pair this with a custom field or checklist item to mark when a design has internal or client approval.

Store and link design assets

ClickUp tasks can host files and important links so nothing gets lost:

• Upload source files, exports, and brand assets
• Link to shared drives or asset management tools
• Version files by uploading updated exports when changes are made

Keeping everything in the same task makes it simple to revisit a design months later.

Step 6: Start From Ready-Made ClickUp Design Templates

To speed things up, you can start with premade layouts instead of building everything from scratch in ClickUp.

Leverage official ClickUp graphic design templates

The ClickUp team offers curated templates for graphic design teams and creative agencies. These include preconfigured statuses, views, and example tasks tailored for common design workflows. Review the options showcased on the official ClickUp graphic design templates page and import a template that closely matches your studio’s needs.

Customize your imported ClickUp template

Once imported, adjust the template so it reflects your exact process:

• Rename lists and folders to match your brands or campaigns
• Tune statuses to fit how you design and review work
• Update custom fields with your own formats, platforms, and priorities
• Replace example tasks with your live projects and clients

This approach gives you a working system in minutes that you can refine over time.

Step 7: Improve Your Design Operations With ClickUp Reporting

When your design system is running, use reports and dashboards in ClickUp to improve turnaround times and resource planning.

Track performance with ClickUp dashboards

Create a dashboard with widgets that show:

• Open design requests by status
• Tasks by assignee and workload
• Average cycle time from request to delivery
• Upcoming deadlines and high-priority items

These insights help you see bottlenecks, rebalance work, and justify additional resources when your queue grows.

Refine templates based on real work

As you complete projects, review which parts of your ClickUp system worked smoothly and which caused friction. Then:

• Update your task templates with better checklists or instructions
• Add or refine custom fields that capture missing data
• Adjust statuses to better match real-world review cycles

This cycle of iteration turns your ClickUp workspace into a robust operating system for design.

Next Steps: Scale Your Design Workflow

By planning your process, standardizing requests, and leveraging templates, you can manage complex design work efficiently in ClickUp while keeping stakeholders aligned. To further optimize your digital operations, explore advanced workflow and automation guidance from specialists at Consultevo, and continue refining your ClickUp setup as your creative team grows.

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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