How UX and design teams use Nulab tools

For UX and design teams, being able to communicate a creative vision is essential. Every wireframe, mockup, and user flow has to make sense to developers and project managers alike. But in practice, keeping everyone lined up is tricky.

Designers often juggle feedback scattered across chat threads and slides. Developers chase down the latest version of a diagram, and sometimes get it wrong. Project managers piece together what’s been approved, what’s still being discussed, and what’s ready for implementation – all while trying to juggle client deadlines.

It’s easy for momentum to flatline when every document lives in different places. That’s where Nulab tools — Backlog and Cacoo — come in. Used together, everything stays connected: diagrams link to tasks, discussions stay tied to visuals, and everyone can see what’s going on. Here’s a closer look at how design teams use Nulab. 

Setting up the workflow

Let’s imagine an in-house product team. They’re working on a new feature for their customer dashboard. Their UX designers, developers, and project managers (PMs) already use Nulab to collaborate across different stages of development.

Here’s how they set up their workflow.

In Cacoo

The UX team begins by creating a shared folder for their project in Cacoo. Within it, they use templates for wireframes, user journey maps, and flowcharts to plan the feature. 

Each diagram lives in one place, and everyone — from PMs to front-end engineers — can leave comments directly on the visuals. Better still, everyone gets a notification when this happens (or something changes). 

Designers often start with:

• Wireframes and mockups: to map interface layouts and screen states.
  
• User journey maps: to visualise how users will move through the new feature.
  
• Flow diagrams: to show how backend logic connects with front-end interactions.

Because Cacoo boards are collaborative, the UX team can iterate in real time during design reviews or sprint planning. Everyone sees updates immediately — no uploading PDFs or emailing new versions.

They also use shared Cacoo templates to keep visual consistency across projects. When a new designer joins the team, they can jump in quickly without having to rebuild components or guess the standard layout.

In Backlog

Once the wireframes and flow diagrams are ready, the PM creates a new project in Backlog for the dashboard update. Design tasks are logged as issues — each with attachments, links to relevant Cacoo diagrams, and notes about progress or dependencies.

Designers can:

• Track which designs are awaiting feedback or dev handoff.
• Use Gantt charts to see how design milestones align with development.
• Switch to Kanban view for a more agile, visual workflow.

Meanwhile, developers watch for new updates linked from Cacoo. When a design is finalised, they tag it to the implementation task and start building.

Cross-team collaboration in action

Here’s how our example team’s workflow plays out in practice.

The UX lead creates a flow diagram in Cacoo that maps how users navigate the new dashboard. They share the diagram link with the dev team in Backlog, attaching it to a user story titled “Dashboard navigation update.”

The team’s front-end dev comments directly on the diagram, asking how a dropdown transition should behave. The lead responds in Cacoo, tweaks the visual, and saves the update. Backlog automatically keeps the linked diagram current — so there’s no confusion about which version to reference.

Later that day, the team’s PM opens Backlog to review sprint progress. They click into the “Dashboard navigation update” issue, view the linked Cacoo diagram, and add a quick note confirming that the change aligns with the feature roadmap.

No extra meetings, no version mix-ups. Everyone has the context they need, right where they need it.

Quick wins for the design team

In their first month using Backlog and Cacoo together, our fictional design team quickly noticed the difference.

Faster feedback loops

Before Nulab, feedback used to happen across several channels — Slack, email, and scattered documents. Now, with comments in Cacoo and threaded discussions in Backlog, the whole conversation stays attached to the work itself.

Designers can make edits while developers are still reviewing. PMs can resolve questions as they arise instead of waiting for a meeting. By the end of the first sprint, the team had cut review time by almost half.

Smoother design-to-dev handoff

When designs were stored across multiple tools, the dev team often had to ask for final versions or clarification. With Backlog’s issue linking, every Cacoo diagram remains tied to the relevant task until completion.

This means:

• Developers always build from the latest approved design.
• UX designers can track which designs are in progress, under review, or shipped.
• PMs can instantly see the design’s current status alongside other tasks.
• Overall, there’s less rework and clear ownership of each stage.

Shared visibility across teams

The PM also enjoyed an immediate benefit: full visibility over every task and update. 

By using Gantt charts in Backlog, they could track design, development, testing, and milestones, all in one handy place. If a task gets delayed, the PM can see immediately how this will have a knock-on effect on other tasks and timelines using Backlog’s task and subtask structure.

Meanwhile, in sprint retrospectives, the team could refer back to linked Cacoo diagrams to discuss what went well and where there’s room for improvement. 

What success looks like in 30 days

By the end of their first month, the team had established a consistent rhythm:

1. Designers prototype in Cacoo. This keeps visuals shareable and editable in real time.
2. Developers link those diagrams directly to implementation tasks in Backlog. This means they’re always working from the latest version.
3. PMs monitor progress and dependencies without chasing updates, relying on Backlog’s built-in charts and reports.

Bringing it together

Nulab tools help UX and design teams stay connected across the whole development process. By pairing Cacoo’s real-time diagramming with Backlog’s structured project management, designers and PMs can collaborate like never before. 

If your team is new to Nulab, try setting up your first joint project today:

• Start with a wireframe template in Cacoo to map your next feature.
• Create a linked Backlog issue for implementation and feedback.
• Watch how visibility — and collaboration — improve from day one.

Explore more ways to get started with Cacoo templates and Backlog tutorials.