Managing creative projects is no easy feat. Unlike traditional projects, creative workflows are often non-linear, highly collaborative, and require tools that can adapt to the unique needs of designers, marketers, content creators, and other creative professionals. Unlike traditional project management, which typically follows a linear, sequential process, creative project management software is designed for flexibility and iterative workflows that better suit the dynamic nature of creative work. Whether you’re working in a creative agency, a cultural industry, or an in-house creative team, having the right creative project management software can make all the difference.
In 2025, the demand for specialized tools that cater to creative teams is higher than ever. These teams don’t just need task management—they need software that can handle brainstorming, asset management, visualization tools, and real-time collaboration. Many creative projects involve cross functional teams, and these tools support collaboration among diverse skill sets, helping manage and streamline workflows across various disciplines. Additionally, tools that integrate seamlessly with design tools like Adobe Creative Cloud or Figma are essential for streamlining workflows and boosting productivity.
What is project management software
Common features of project management software
Project management software helps us plan, organize, and oversee all the moving parts of our daily work. At its core, these tools provide features like task assignment, scheduling, deadline reminders, and document sharing. We often use dashboards to view project progress at a glance, while shared calendars help us align deliverables and avoid conflicts. Collaboration features, such as team messaging and file attachments, bring all communication into one central space. This makes it easier for everyone to stay on the same page and deliver work on time.
Benefits of using project management software
The biggest benefit for us is clarity. With project management software, we have a central hub where tasks, deadlines, and conversations live, so nothing gets lost in email threads or sticky notes. By giving everyone visibility into who is doing what, it reduces confusion and helps us avoid missed deadlines. Our ability to track progress in real time means we can quickly identify bottlenecks or issues before they become bigger problems. Basic reporting features help teams consolidate updates and feedback, improving efficiency and accountability by reducing manual effort and organizing workflows. The right tool also streamlines approvals and feedback, which is especially valuable for creative teams juggling multiple campaigns.
Types of project management software
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to project management software. Some tools are list-based, making them simple and easy for teams just getting started. Others use visual boards, like Kanban or Gantt charts, which are ideal for teams who want to see project phases at a glance. All-in-one platforms combine task management, communication, automation, and file storage—giving us flexibility to run both linear and complex projects from a single place. The best choice depends on our workflow, team size, and the complexity of our projects.
Why creative teams need creative project management software
Unique challenges in creative project management
Working on creative projects comes with a unique set of challenges. Creative work is often less predictable—deadlines can shift, briefs evolve, and assets need frequent reviews and approvals. Gathering feedback from multiple stakeholders can be streamlined by using request forms to manage project intake and requirements collection. Frequent reviews and approvals highlight the importance of an organized review process for timely feedback and efficient revisions. Tracking final approval is essential to ensure project completion and stakeholder sign-off. We might have to coordinate with external partners, gather feedback from multiple stakeholders, and handle large volumes of visual assets or media files. Managing all these moving parts using generic tools or spreadsheets soon becomes overwhelming. Without a dedicated system, creative projects risk falling behind, missing details, or losing the “big idea” in endless email threads.
Advantages of dedicated creative project management tools
That’s where creative project management software shines. Unlike generic project tools, these platforms are built for our creative workflows. They usually include visual boards, content calendars, asset management, and seamless feedback loops—so we can easily track versions, organize assets, and collect feedback in context. Real-time collaboration keeps everyone aligned, whether we’re in the same room or working remotely. The best creative project management software adapts to our team’s needs, helps us manage inspiration and deadlines side by side, and lets us focus more on ideas, less on admin.
Key features to look for in creative project management software
Visualization Tools
Creative teams thrive on visual workflows. Tools like Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and gallery views help teams organize tasks, track progress, and visualize project timelines. An intuitive interface makes it easier for creative teams to adopt and use these visualization tools effectively. For example, a Kanban board allows teams to see the status of tasks at a glance, making it easier to manage complex projects.
Collaboration Features
Real-time collaboration is essential for brainstorming, feedback, and approvals. Tools that offer messaging, file sharing, and collaborative editing can greatly enhance team productivity. For instance, real-time collaboration tools allow multiple team members to work on the same document or project plan simultaneously, ensuring everyone stays aligned. These features are especially valuable when coordinating multiple teams on large or complex projects, as they help streamline communication and clarify roles across different groups.
File and Asset Management
Creative projects often involve large multimedia files. A good tool should support file sharing, version control, and easy access to creative assets. This is especially important for creative agencies that handle multiple clients and campaigns. Asset management tools can prevent versioning issues and ensure that team members always have access to the latest files. Digital asset management systems further enhance efficiency by centralizing the storage, organization, and retrieval of creative assets, making it easier for teams to access up-to-date files and collaborate effectively.
Flexibility and Customization
Every creative team is different. The best tools allow you to customize workflows, templates, and dashboards to suit your unique needs. You can also create custom workflows tailored to specific creative or project requirements, enhancing how you track tasks and collaborate. For example, a tool with customizable project templates can save time and ensure consistency across projects.
Integration with Design Tools
Seamless integration with tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma, or Canva can save time and improve efficiency. In addition to these design tools, integrating with other tools such as Google Docs, Visme, or specialized creative software further enhances workflow efficiency and collaboration. These integrations allow creative professionals to work directly within the tools they’re familiar with while syncing their progress to the project management platform.
Top 10 Creative Project Management Tools for 2025
1. Lark: Flexible creative workspace with visual project management
Overview:Lark is an all-in-one creative project management software built for seamless collaboration, visual asset tracking, and tailored workflows—ideal for agencies and creative teams. As a centralized platform, Lark brings together project management, communication, and asset management in a unified interface.
Key features:
Lark Base: Gallery View offers a Pinterest-like experience to visualize creative assets, campaign phases, and feedback cycles.
Custom Workflows: Easily design stages for ideation, review, and approval.
Collaboration Features: Built-in chat, video meetings, calendaring, docs but Lark’s true game-changer is Lark Base—a flexible database and workflow engine built for the demands of creative asset management and dynamic team collaboration.
Resource Management: Tools for resource allocation, capacity planning, and monitoring team capacity help you allocate resources efficiently and avoid bottlenecks.
Cloud File Management: Centralize creative files, manage access, and embed multimedia in Lark Docs.
External Collaboration: Securely invite freelancers or clients to review assets and comment directly.
Integrated Automation: Automate repetitive creative project steps like reminders or status changes.
Limitations:Very advanced feature sets may require onboarding for traditional spreadsheet users.
Price:
Free plan: Includes 11 powerful products, supporting up to 20 users, 100 GB storage, 1,000 automation runs and unlimited AI translation in chats, docs and email.
Paid plans: Starts at $12/user/month, supporting up to 500 users. Includes unlimited message history, 50,000 automated Base workflow executions per month.
Enterprise plan:Custom pricing.
👉Try Lark’s Savings Calculator: Switching to Lark’s Pro plan can lead to significant cost savings— for example, a 100-employee company using Slack, Google Workspace, and Airtable could save approximately $25,200 annually by consolidating their tools with Lark.
Reviews:Highly rated for Base’s Gallery View, real-time sync, and user-friendly creative collaboration. Many design, marketing, and media teams highlight increased efficiency and better visual asset organization.
Best for:Creative teams, agencies, or media companies managing multi-stage, visually-driven campaigns who need both structure and flexibility in their workflow, as well as managing resources and allocating resources efficiently for creative teams.
2. Asana: Streamlined task and timeline manager
Image source: asana.com
Overview:
Asana breaks creative projects into tasks, deadlines, and dependencies for structured progress tracking.
Key features:
Task lists, timeline view, file attachments, collaboration tools.
Limitations:
Limited visualization and creative asset organization compared to specialized platforms.
Price:
Free plan for basic use; premium starts at $10.99/user/month.
Reviews:
Positive for streamlined workflows, especially for small creative teams.
Best for:
Teams organizing creative work as structured tasks and timelines.
3. Trello: Visual Kanban for easy creative workflows
Image source:trello.com
Overview:Trello uses boards and cards for intuitive, visual creative project management.
Key features:Kanban boards, Power-Ups (integrations), card customization, simple drag-and-drop interface, ability to assign tasks to team members using cards.
Limitations:Can become cluttered with complex projects; limited in advanced reporting.
Price:Free for core features; paid plans from $5/user/month.
Reviews:Praised for simplicity and visual management.
Best for:Small creative teams or freelancers favoring visual organization.
4. Monday.com: Customizable dashboards for creative operations
Image source: monday.com
Overview:Monday.com is a flexible platform for building custom creative workflows and dashboards.
Key features:Customizable boards, multiple project views (Gantt, Kanban, calendar), file sharing, and robust workflow automation to streamline creative processes and manage iterative feedback.
Limitations:Learning curve for new users; can be overwhelming for simple projects.
Price:Plans from $8/user/month.
Reviews:Rated highly for visual workflow flexibility.
Best for:Agencies or larger teams managing multiple creative projects at scale.
5. Wrike: Advanced creative project automation
Image source: wrike.com
Overview:
Wrike specializes in creative project automation, approval flows, and asset tracking for complex needs.
Key features:
Custom workflows, creative asset management, auto task assignment, Adobe Creative Cloud integration.
Limitations:
Advanced features require time to master; higher cost for premium plans.
Price:
Paid plans start at $10/user/month.
Reviews:
Recognized for robust automation and integration with creative tools.
Best for:
Large creative agencies or studios needing automated workflows.
6. ClickUp: All-in-one creative project platform
Image source: clickup.com
Overview:ClickUp combines project tracking, docs, and collaboration for creative project management.
Key features:Task management, time tracking, custom dashboards, docs, project documentation for knowledge sharing and workflow integration, and diverse integrations.
Limitations:Overabundance of features may overwhelm smaller teams.
Price:Free plan available; paid plans from $7/user/month.
Reviews:Favored for versatility and consolidating project tools.
Best for:Creative teams seeking an affordable, feature-rich all-in-one workspace.
7. Notion: Modular creative management and documentation
Image source: notion.so
Overview:Notion blends project boards, content calendars, and note-taking in one flexible workspace.
Key features:Custom templates, knowledge bases, project trackers, real-time collaboration.
Limitations:Limited automation and task dependencies versus dedicated PM tools.
Price:Free for basic use; paid plans from $10/seat/month.
Reviews:Loved for flexibility and content organization.
Best for:Content-driven creative teams needing customization and building or managing creative workflow.
8. Smartsheet: Spreadsheet-style creative project tracking
Image source: smartsheet.com
Overview:Smartsheet pairs the familiarity of spreadsheets with project management for creative teams.
Key features:Spreadsheet-based interface, automation, dashboards, Gantt charts, card views. Collects and analyzes project data to support better planning, resource allocation, and decision-making.
Limitations:Less visual than board-based tools; requires spreadsheet skills.
Price:Plans from $9/user/month.
Reviews:Appreciated for data-driven and budget-conscious creative projects.
Best for:Creative teams who like spreadsheet-style project views.
9. Basecamp: Simple team and client collaboration
Image source: basecamp.com
Overview:Basecamp centralizes creative project communication, files, and tasks.
Key features:To-do lists, group chat, file sharing, client collaboration tools.
Limitations:Lacks advanced workflow or visualization tools.
Price:$15/user/month.
Reviews:Popular for communication and simplicity.
Best for:Creative agencies and marketing agencies working closely with external clients.
10. Adobe Workfront: Enterprise-grade creative management
Image source: business.adobe.com
Overview:
Adobe Workfront is designed for managing large-scale creative operations and integrates tightly with Adobe Creative Cloud.
Key features:
Creative campaign management, asset approvals, advanced reporting, deep Adobe integration.
Limitations:
High price point and complexity; best for large teams.
Price:
Custom pricing.
Reviews:
Highly rated by enterprise creative teams, design squads, and in-house agencies.
Best for:
Design-heavy creative teams handling large, multi-stakeholder campaigns.
How to choose the best creative project management software for your business
Identifying your team’s needs and workflow
Before diving into software options, we start by mapping out our team’s processes. What is our typical project flow? Do we need approval tracking, asset management, or simple task lists? Are team members mostly in-house, remote, or working with external collaborators? Pinpointing these needs helps us shortlist tools that truly fit our creative process, rather than trying to force our process into a rigid system.
It's also important to consider how the software supports organizing and collaborating on specific projects with unique requirements, such as document management, deadlines, and tailored project views.
Key criteria to consider when evaluating software
When comparing creative project management software, we look beyond just the basics. Does the tool offer intuitive visual boards and flexible workflows? How does it support file sharing and asset versioning? Can we invite clients or freelancers to collaborate without compromising security? Marketing teams may require specialized features for campaign management and collaboration to streamline their unique workflows. Integration also matters—connecting with design software, cloud storage, or email helps us avoid workflow silos. Scalability and customer support are important, too, to ensure the software grows with our team’s changing needs.
Questions to ask during the selection process
Before committing to a solution, we find it helpful to ask:
Is the user interface friendly for both creatives and non-creatives?
How easy is it to set up and customize workflows?
Does the software support real-time comments and approvals?
What integration options are available for our favorite design and communication tools?
Can we adjust permissions for different stakeholders?
Does the software provide features to allocate resources efficiently across projects? These questions help ensure the tool is a good match, both for our team’s current needs and future growth.
Tips for a successful software implementation
Rolling out new creative project management software is as much about people as technology. We recommend starting with a pilot group to gather feedback and iron out issues. Training is key—even the most intuitive tool benefits from a proper introduction and onboarding materials. Setting clear expectations, providing resources, and encouraging open communication help ease the transition and boost adoption. Lastly, we stay flexible and review usage regularly, adapting our setup as our projects and team evolve.
Conclusion
Choosing the right creative project management software can transform the way your team works. Whether you’re drawn to Lark’s innovative features or the simplicity of Trello, the tools on this list are designed to help creative teams thrive. From brainstorming sessions to final asset delivery, these tools support every stage of the creative process while boosting productivity and efficiency.
Frequently asked questions
What is creative project management software?
Creative project management software helps teams plan, organize, and track creative projects—like design, video, or marketing campaigns—in one collaborative platform.
Which is the best software for creative project management?
Lark is a top choice for creative project management software, offering an all-in-one workspace for design, collaboration, and task tracking.
How does project management software help creative teams?
It streamlines creative workflows, improves communication, tracks deadlines, and centralizes feedback—boosting productivity and project quality.
What features should creative project management software have?
Key features include visual task boards, real-time collaboration, file sharing, approval workflows, and easy integration with design tools.
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