There’s something beautiful in using one tool for all stages of product development. From a blog-post draft (like this one) to a full product redesign, everything starts with someone jotting down thoughts in Paper.

running design critiques, sprints, and more in Figmaīut what didn’t change was how we capture, develop, and execute on ideas-using Dropbox Paper.

using virtual office tools to feel each other’s presence and enable small talk.

updating Slack statuses frequently to increase that “desk neighbor” visibility.

I have witnessed my designer colleagues explore many new ways of keeping our culture alive. Passing a teammate in the hallway and sharing updates. Disagreeing and committing during meetings.

So much of our work culture normally relies on seeing each other face-to-face. That we’d just keep working as if nothing happened. You’d think that Dropbox, one of the companies that pioneered working in “the cloud,” would already be a well-oiled machine for remote work. And what I do know quite well is how to collaborate remotely using Dropbox Paper. But it got me thinking: “What knowledge do I have that might matter to someone?” I realized people all over the world are looking for ways to “keep the lights on” at work, but from within their homes. Talk about feeling nonessential for a moment. I’m a designer who pushes pixels on a computer. I don’t know how to 3D-print respirator parts. The world decided that only “essential workers” were allowed to go to work. I will have worked at an arm’s length from where I sleep for nine months-at the least. Here I am, months later, with another six months of remote work expected. I mentally prepared to WFH for the next two weeks.

Overnight our entire company was asked to work from home as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. “Today, we’re taking the step of asking everyone in our global offices to begin working from home for the next two weeks.“ Subject line: “Important: please begin working from home” Here’s a description of what it is and how we use it at work, plus some templates for you to use:

Dropbox paper mac