Version control in creative project management: A guide for creative teams

Almost all creative leads will be familiar with the frustration of receiving a revised asset, only to realize that their team has been working on an outdated version.

Frustrations aside, asset management errors can lead to many serious problems: They waste budget and time, heighten the risk of overservicing, and — most pressingly — result in unhappy clients or stakeholders.

But these errors pop up frequently in the creative industry. As assets are developed, creative teams face common challenges, like managing internal and external feedback, tracking changes, managing adaptations, and ensuring consistency. Because it can take an army of people to build and approve assets, it’s all too easy for amendments and revisions to get lost between hands, platforms, and disconnected messages. 

Thankfully, there’s a solution: version control. 

Here’s everything you need to know. 

What we'll cover

What is version control?

In creative projects, version control is the act of managing and tracking changes to creative assets like videos, graphics, and audio files. It creates a central repository where all feedback, edits, and revisions live in one place, reducing the possibility of errors, double work, and miscommunications across deliverables. 

It’s a crucial mechanism for creative teams, as it allows multiple team members to collaborate while keeping track of different versions of the asset. This ensures everyone involved in a project references the most up-to-date asset rather than older, unrevised versions.

Why version control is critical in creative operations 

Between graphic designers, copywriters, website builders, and SEO specialists, creative projects encompass a huge web of individuals, each trying to do their best to create an innovative asset. 

But without version control, the creative process isn’t as efficient as it should be — a major focus for creative operations teams.

Here’s a deeper look at why version control is vital for creative success.

Facilitating efficient creative feedback

Speaking of feedback, that’s another crucial plus point of a great version control strategy: streamlined, reliable feedback.

Because all team members can see the latest version of an asset easily, it prevents reviewers from providing comments on old versions — and saves project managers from wasting time triaging feedback on old versions that aren’t relevant anymore.

Centralization

Often, creative projects require a mixture of in-house expertise and agencies (often within different cities or countries), which heightens the risk of stakeholders looking at outdated assets.

Version control directly combats this issue. By creating a centralized hub for every version of your assets — including all comments, feedback, and updates — it’s easy to ensure everyone’s working from the right version of an asset.

For unparalleled version control success, you’ll need to use a dedicated tool that simplifies the process of tracking changes and managing asset amendments across different departments and organizations.

Ziflow, for example, makes version management effortless with feedback centralized in one, intuitive platform, combined with approval trigger functionality that automatically creates updated assets. This helps creative teams review and refine their assets and be confident in the knowledge that they’re working on the most up-to-date version — and that the client is only seeing the most up-to-date version.

Whether you’re tracking versions manually or using a dedicated tool, numbering systems clarify the order in which each asset was created, with the most recent version of the asset having the highest number. That makes it easy to work off the new version of the asset based on the numbering conventions.

A solid naming convention usually goes beyond “version 1, version 2,...” It will likely include a system that indicates dates, subversion, and other important information.

For example, you could use decimal points to separate different types of data. Version 5.3.24 could represent an asset that’s version 5, subversion 2, created in the year 2024.

3. Separate internal and external versions for better collaboration

While stakeholder feedback is vital throughout the review and approval process, most creative teams will go through multiple drafts of an asset internally before showing it to external stakeholders. 

How do you keep external stakeholders from seeing those in-between drafts that aren’t quite ready to see the light of day? Using a major and minor version numbering conventions can help.

In this numbering style, different numbers indicate the number of “major” versions and “minor” versions. “Major” versions are those ready for external review, while “minor” versions are internal drafts. 

For example, Version 0.1 indicates zero external drafts but one internal draft. Version 1.0 indicates the first external draft, without any minor versions afterward. Version 1.2 is the second internal draft after the first external draft, and so on.

4. Automate routine tasks

To avoid the fallout of costly errors, it’s a better idea to use a version control platform that empowers you to automate elements of the approvals process and manage changes. Doing so not only improves accuracy but also allows your team to focus on being creative, without having to worry about tracking repetitive tasks.

For example, say that in your previous workflow, team members had to manually tag the next person in the review process for their feedback. This manual work presents the opportunity to accidentally tag the wrong person or assign the wrong due date.

With automation in your version control process, you can set up automatic assignments within each version of your asset — ensuring the right person looks at the right version of an asset at the right time.

5. Have structured folders

To make your version control software work for you, it’s a good idea to implement structured folders by client, with sub-folders for each project. This makes it easier and quicker for each member of your team to navigate to the right asset without having to search through hundreds of unorganized files for the right one.

How to choose a software platform to manage version control in a creative team 

If you’re ready to implement better version control within your team, version control software is the way to go. It automates processes, keeping your team efficient and allowing them to focus on what matters: producing innovative, high-quality deliverables. 

Let’s take a look at how to choose the right tool for your team. 

Start by understanding your team’s needs

Not all version control software is equipped specifically to help creative teams. This is why it’s vital to gain a deep understanding of the problems you're hoping the software will solve.

Is your team struggling with bottlenecks? Is poor communication or inefficient collaboration an issue? Do clients keep getting outdated assets? 
Answering these questions and considering your current hurdles can help you hone in on a solution that serves your team’s needs.

As a side note, make sure your chosen solution supports the file formats and sizes you work with, along with double-checking it integrates with your go-to applications, whether that’s Box, Adobe, Asana, monday.com, etc. 

Determine the key features that are needed

All great version control software platforms tend to share a few non-negotiable features that creative teams shouldn’t overlook. As you review different providers, make sure they tick all of these boxes:

• User-friendly interface
• Detailed version history logs
• Side-by-side version comparison
• A strong revision control system with easy version rollback
• Robust collaboration tools, including the ability to copy comments from version to version
• Separation of major and minor versions, or internal and external versions
• Integrations with the file management and communication tools teams currently use
• Scalability for large projects and high project volume
• Security and compliance features in line with your industry

Evaluate the tool you’re considering 

By now, you’ve likely found one or two tools that could be a great fit for your creative team. But before you take the plunge, make sure to get your team’s feedback on your shortlist.

Not only is it important to get direct buy-in from the people who will use the tool every day, but you never know who might have relevant experience and useful insights.

As well as this, it’s a wise idea to do a bit of background research, such as: 

• Digging into case studies and testimonials
• Watching a product demonstration or signing up for a trial version
• Crunching the hard numbers to see how the product fits into your budget (Tip: Be sure to consider up-front costs and ongoing monthly subscription fees, if any.)
• Asking about the implementation and onboarding process, including data migration, training, and configuration
• Learning what ongoing support the tool offers to users
• Asking industry groups or colleagues if they have experience with the tool

Where possible, always opt for free trials or demos, too, so you can have a direct look at how each platform fits into your workflow.

Optimize your creative workflow with Ziflow's version control capabilities

Ultimately, version control software platforms are transforming the way creative teams create and manage assets, unleashing a new wave of productivity, accuracy, and efficiency.

With Ziflow, it’s easy to keep track of different versions of your creative assets — whether it’s video, audio, graphic, or any other type of content. Ziflow takes the manual element out of managing versions and streamlines the review and approval process with powerful automation, making your creative team more efficient and your deliverables more effective.