How do I add design review feedback in CoLab?

What passes for design review feedback for most engineering teams is 2D or 3D markup.

This is often done using a PDF viewer with markup tools or in PowerPoint.

While these tools seem innocuous, their consequences quickly pile up:

• Loss of version control. With many reviewers commenting on separate PDFs or slides, version control becomes its own administrative burden.
• Non-value add work. Building these decks, transferring files, documenting the feedback left by others. These don’t add any value to the design review itself. They are byproducts of poor processes and ill-equipped systems. In fact, recent research suggests engineers spend nearly a quarter of their time on non-value add work.
• Loss of critical feedback. Because of how teams execute design reviews – both markup and issue generation – this same research estimates 43% of design feedback is lost. 

Solving these problems is why CoLab exists. And this starts with the basic premise of making it as easy as possible to leave design feedback.

In this video, Liam demonstrates how to leave design review feedback in CoLab as a reviewer.

This all starts with an email invitation to access a design review.

Once you're invited to a review, simply open the file from your email invite and:

1. Manipulate the model to find a place where you want to place feedback.
2. Select the pin icon from the top toolbar.
3. Place the pin on the model where your feedback is relevant.
4. Write your feedback and send it.

The reviewer and any relevant team members will be notified of your feedback and can respond in real-time. 

*Pro tip: CoLab also has all the markup tools you’re used to. So, once a pin is dropped, you can add any additional markup to help clarify your comment.