The importance of a Whiteboard for any team is almost sacred. It’s the space where ideas are born and creativity thrives. Brainstorming sessions are revered space for teams to effectively come up with solutions for problems at hand. But why confine the idea of a Whiteboard to a physical space when everything else is moving to the virtual realm?
As more and more organizations are making the shift to a Workstream Collaboration space like Microsoft Teams, the features the apps offer have to go beyond average to dominate in the ever-increasingly competitive market. So basically nothing is beyond the scope of a WSC app right now. You want something and there’s a good chance, they already have it. And that includes the precious Whiteboard too.
In Microsoft Teams, there are so many Whiteboards to choose from that we bet it would make you feel at least a little bit overwhelmed. You can use the one that best meets your needs, or add more than one to mix things up a little bit. Whatever floats your boat!
In-Built Microsoft Teams Whiteboard
The basic whiteboard with markers and an eraser
If you’re looking for a simple, collaborative Whiteboard for your meetings, there’s no need to look any further. Microsoft Teams offers an in-built Whiteboard during the meetings. But there’ s a little catch here. The Whiteboard, unfortunately, is not available in a 1:1 meet. So the Whiteboard can only be accessed if there are 3 or more people in the meeting.
To use the Whiteboard, click on the ‘Share screen’ option on the call toolbar in the meeting.
Then at the end of the screens available to share, there will also be an option for the ‘Microsoft Whiteboard’. Click on it to use the Whiteboard.
The Whiteboard available in Microsoft Teams is actually the ‘Whiteboard for Web’ from Microsoft that they have integrated into the Teams app. A dialogue box will appear asking you to choose whether you want to open the Whiteboard desktop app or use it in Microsoft Teams. Click on ‘Use Whiteboard in Teams instead’ to proceed to the in-built Whiteboard if you don’t have the app or don’t want to use it currently.
Microsoft Whiteboard is collaborative by default, so all organization members in the meeting can use it. Notice the keyword – organization members. The Whiteboard is currently available only for organization members and not guests. Meeting participants from outside the organization cannot start, ink, or view the whiteboard. The Whiteboard is also available to all participants after the meeting in the meeting chat.
Freehand by InVision
Infinitely collaborative with unmatched design tools
InVision offers an infinite collaborative Whiteboard for Microsoft Teams in the form of an integrated app. It offers a lot of tools like markers, shape selection, color, and alignment tools, unlike the in-built Microsoft Whiteboard that offers only markers. The app can be added as a Tab to any channel by the teams that want to use it. Tabs are quick links to any files, or apps the teams want to use frequently.
To add the Freehand Whiteboard to a Channel, open the Teams Channel you want to add the Whiteboard to and then click on the ‘+’ icon on the right of the present Tabs.
The screen to add a tab will open. Search for the Freehand Whiteboard from the search box and click on the app thumbnail from the search results to open it.
Now, click on the ‘Add’ button to add the Whiteboard as a Tab.
The Freehand Whiteboard is also available during meetings, just like the Microsoft Whiteboard from the ‘Share screen’ option. Select the ‘Freehand by InVision’ Whiteboard instead of the Microsoft Whiteboard from the options available to use it during a meeting.
MURAL Whiteboard
Offers sticky notes and diagrams
MURAL is another Whiteboard available as an integrated app in Microsoft Teams. Add the app as a Tab to the Channel in the Team you want to use it. You might be thinking that if it’s just another Whiteboard, why would I need it when there are already two options available. Well, simply because it offers different features than the previous ones. In addition to traditional markers, it also offers features to add sticky notes and diagrams to the Whiteboard. So it can be the perfect place for interactive brainstorming sessions.
The team members also get notifications for all activity in the murals. Add the app as a tab to the channel to collaborate with team members. Go to the Teams channel you want to add the Whiteboard to and click on the ‘+’ icon on the Tabs area below the command bar.
Search for ‘Mural’ from the search box and open the app.
Then, click on the ‘Add’ button to add the Mural Whiteboard to your Microsoft Teams tools arsenal.
Klaxoon Whiteboard
The ultimate whiteboard with all the tools your team would ever need
Klaxoon is a Whiteboard app that goes above and beyond than traditional Whiteboards and offers a full-blown collaboration platform that includes any tool you could potentially require. The possibilities it offers are almost endless. In addition to drawing tools, you can connect images, text, and media. But the list isn’t over yet. You can also have live polls, word clouds, and challenges. It also offers features like stopwatch, and timers to encourage participation and hence, boosts productivity.
Add the app as a tab in your Teams channel, and get to brainstorming and collaboration in real-time. To add it as a Tab, click on the ‘+’ icon in the channel where you want to add this whiteboard.
Then, search for Klaxoon from the search box of the window that opens. Click on the app thumbnail to open it.
Now, click on the ‘Add’ button to make it a resident tab for your channel.
Microsoft Teams is considered one of the best WSC apps in the market for a reason. Other than the basic communication functionalities all apps offer, the users also have a plethora of integrated apps at their disposal. The motley collection of apps means that you have various options to choose from as per your requirements. Choose the Whiteboard that meets your needs the best from the array of apps available in Microsoft Teams.
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