Simple Project Management for Designers (2026 Guide)

Design work thrives on clarity, creativity, and flow. Yet most project management software does the opposite—overwhelming your team with features they’ll never use, complex workflows that take weeks to learn, and interfaces that kill creative momentum.

If your design team avoids your PM tool (or you’re cobbling together Slack, email, and Google Sheets), you’re not alone. Most project management software is built for enterprise IT departments, not creative teams managing multiple client projects.

This guide covers what makes project management “simple” for designers, the essential features you actually need, and five tools that won’t overwhelm your team.

Why Designers Need Simple Project Management

Design projects are inherently visual, iterative, and collaborative. You’re jumping between client feedback, design revisions, and handoff deadlines—often across 5-10 active projects at once.

Traditional project management tools make this harder, not easier:

They’re built for complexity. Most PM software assumes you need Gantt charts, dependencies, time tracking, resource management, and automation. For a small design team delivering client work, this is overkill.
They kill creative flow. When checking a task list requires navigating three levels of menus, designers stop checking. Instead, they ask you in Slack—creating more work for everyone.
Team adoption is the real challenge. It doesn’t matter how many features a tool has if your designers won’t use it. The #1 reason PM tools fail isn’t capability—it’s resistance from the team who has to use it daily.

The result? You (the project manager or agency owner) spend hours maintaining a system no one else touches. Your team tracks work in their own way. Clients don’t get clear status updates. Projects slip.

Simple project management solves this by removing everything that gets in the way of answering two questions:

What am I working on right now?
What’s the status across all our projects?

What Makes Project Management “Simple” for Designers

“Simple” doesn’t mean fewer features. It means intentional design that prioritizes speed and clarity over configurability.

Here’s what separates simple PM tools from bloated ones:

1. Visual Clarity Over Feature Lists

Designers are visual thinkers. A simple PM tool shows progress at a glance—not buried in reports you have to generate.

See all active projects on one screen
Understand task status without clicking into details
Identify bottlenecks visually (what’s stuck, what’s urgent)

2. Fast Context Switching Between Projects

When you’re managing 8 client projects, you need to jump from Project A to Project B in seconds, not navigate through folders and filters.

Simple tools let you:

Switch between clients with one click
See cross-project priorities in a single view
Avoid getting lost in complex navigation hierarchies

3. Minimal Setup and Maintenance

Complex PM tools require a dedicated administrator to configure workflows, set up automations, and train the team. Small design agencies don’t have that luxury.

Simple tools work immediately:

No multi-week onboarding process
No custom workflows to design
No need to watch tutorial videos to create a task

4. Team Actually Uses It

This is the ultimate test. If your designers open the tool daily without being reminded, it’s working. If they avoid it and ask you for updates instead, it’s too complex.

The best simple PM tools feel as easy as Google Sheets but with added progress and overview visibility. Familiar mental models, minimal learning curve, clear value.

Essential Features for Design Project Management

Not all “simple” tools are created equal. Here’s what design teams managing multiple clients actually need:

High-Level Project Overview

You need to see all active client projects at once—not dig through folders or switch views. This single-screen overview answers: “What’s happening across all our work right now?”

Why it matters: Design agencies typically juggle 5-15 active clients. Without an overview, you’re constantly context-switching between tools, spreadsheets, and Slack threads trying to piece together status.

Quick Task Creation and Assignment

Creating a task should take 10 seconds, not 2 minutes filling out forms. If it’s friction-filled, tasks don’t get tracked—and that’s when things fall through the cracks.

What to look for:

Add tasks without leaving your current view
Assign to team members with one click
Set deadlines quickly (or skip them if not needed)

Progress Tracking Without Manual Updates

Manually updating ”% complete” fields or changing status labels is busywork. Simple tools show progress automatically as tasks get checked off.

Why it matters: If tracking progress takes effort, it won’t happen. Your overview becomes outdated. Clients ask for updates you can’t easily give.

Client Collaboration Without Complexity

Some agencies need clients to see progress or submit feedback directly in the PM tool. But most client-facing features add complexity (permissions, guest access, separate views).

The trade-off: If you rarely share PM tools with clients, skip this feature. Export a simple status update instead. Less complexity means higher team adoption.

5 Simple Project Management Tools for Designers

Here’s an honest comparison of tools built for simplicity, evaluated specifically for design teams managing multiple client projects.

1. Orsane — Lightweight Task Management Built for Agencies

Best for: Design agencies (5-25 people) managing multiple clients who want team-wide adoption, not just PM-only tools.

Orsane is built specifically for agencies managing multiple client projects. It solves the two biggest pain points design teams face: getting a clear overview across all projects and getting the whole team to actually use the tool.

What makes it simple:

Cross-project overview in one view. See all clients, all active work, all priorities without switching screens or running reports.
Fast context switching. Jump between client projects instantly—no complex navigation hierarchies.
As easy as Google Sheets. Familiar interface, zero learning curve. Your team can start using it the day you sign up.
Built for agencies, not enterprises. No bloated features you’ll never use. Just task tracking, progress visibility, and overview—nothing more.

Who it’s for:

Small to medium design agencies (5-25 people)
Teams currently using spreadsheets or cobbling together multiple tools
Agencies where team members resist complex PM software
Project managers who need visibility without micromanaging

Who it’s not for:

Agencies needing advanced automation or time tracking
Teams requiring complex dependencies or Gantt charts
Solo freelancers (simpler tools like Trello work fine)

Pricing: Free trial, then $15/month per user

Try Orsane → Start your free trial (no credit card required)

2. Trello — Visual Boards for Simple Workflows

Best for: Small teams (2-5 people) managing straightforward projects with minimal cross-project needs.

Trello pioneered the Kanban board interface—drag-and-drop cards across columns like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” It’s incredibly intuitive and requires virtually no training.

What makes it simple:

Visual boards anyone can understand immediately
Free tier is generous (works for small teams indefinitely)
Minimal features = minimal overwhelm

Where it falls short for designers:

No cross-project overview. Each board is separate. If you’re managing 8 clients, you’re switching between 8 boards constantly.
Hard to scale. Once you hit 10+ active projects, Trello becomes unwieldy.
Limited progress visibility. You can see what’s on each board, but not aggregate status across all work.

Pricing: Free (limited), $5/user/month (Standard)

3. Basecamp — Straightforward Team Communication + Tasks

Best for: Teams prioritizing internal communication over detailed task tracking.

Basecamp is refreshingly simple compared to enterprise PM tools. It combines to-do lists, message boards, file sharing, and chat in one place—no complex configurations needed.

What makes it simple:

Clean, opinionated interface (no endless customization)
Everything lives in one centralized hub
Strong focus on async communication

Where it falls short for designers:

Limited task views. No Kanban boards, Gantt charts, or visual progress tracking.
Weak cross-project visibility. Projects are siloed; hard to see aggregate status.
Better for communication than task management. If your priority is tracking deliverables across clients, Basecamp isn’t optimized for that.

Pricing: $15/user/month (flat rate, no per-user fees)

4. Notion — Flexible Workspace for Everything

Best for: Teams who want a wiki, task manager, and documentation system combined—and don’t mind setting it up.

Notion is infinitely flexible. You can build anything: task databases, design systems documentation, meeting notes, client portals. That flexibility is both its strength and its weakness.

What makes it simple (initially):

Beautiful, modern interface
Combines multiple tools (docs, tasks, wikis) in one place
Free tier is generous

Where it falls short for designers:

Requires significant setup. Notion is a blank canvas. Building a PM system takes time and thought.
Becomes complex quickly. As you add databases, relations, and filters, it mirrors the bloat you’re trying to avoid.
Not purpose-built for task tracking. It’s a general workspace tool. Task management is one feature, not the core focus.

Pricing: Free (limited), $10/user/month (Plus)

5. Google Sheets — The Ultimate Lightweight Tool

Best for: Ultra-small teams (2-3 people) who need maximum flexibility and zero budget.

Hear us out: Google Sheets is often dismissed as “not a real PM tool,” but for tiny design teams, it works surprisingly well. Everyone knows how to use it, it’s free, and it’s endlessly customizable.

What makes it simple:

Zero learning curve (everyone already knows Sheets)
Free forever
Total flexibility to structure it however you want

Where it falls short for designers:

No progress visualization. You can’t see task status at a glance—it’s just rows of data.
Manual everything. No automation, no notifications, no integrations.
Doesn’t scale. Once you hit 5-6 people or 10+ projects, Sheets becomes chaotic.

Pricing: Free

Comparison Table: Which Tool Is Right for You?

Tool	Best For	Cross-Project Overview	Learning Curve	Team Adoption	Pricing
Orsane	Agencies managing 5-15 clients	✅ Excellent	⚡ Instant	✅ High	$15/user/mo
Trello	Small teams, simple workflows	❌ Poor (separate boards)	⚡ Instant	✅ High	Free–$5/user/mo
Basecamp	Communication-first teams	⚠️ Limited	⚡ Fast	✅ High	$15/user/mo
Notion	Teams wanting docs + tasks	⚠️ Requires setup	🐢 Steep	⚠️ Medium	Free–$10/user/mo
Google Sheets	Ultra-small teams, no budget	❌ None	⚡ Instant	✅ High	Free

How to Choose the Right Simple PM Tool

Ask yourself these questions:

1. How many concurrent client projects do you manage?

1-3 projects: Trello or Google Sheets work fine
5-10 projects: You need cross-project overview (Orsane, Notion)
10+ projects: Cross-project visibility is essential (Orsane)

2. How big is your team?

2-5 people: Trello, Basecamp, or Sheets
5-15 people: Orsane, Basecamp
15+ people: You likely need more structure than “simple” tools provide

3. What’s your team’s tolerance for setup?

Zero setup tolerance: Orsane, Trello, Basecamp (work immediately)
Willing to invest time upfront: Notion (highly customizable but requires configuration)

4. What’s your budget?

$0: Trello (free tier), Google Sheets
$5-15/user/month: Orsane, Basecamp, Trello, Notion

5. Is team adoption your biggest concern?

If your designers currently avoid PM tools, choose based on ease of use, not features.

The simplest tool that your team will actually use beats the most powerful tool they’ll ignore.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Choosing Based on Features, Not Adoption

More features don’t help if your team won’t use the tool. A simple tool with 80% adoption beats a powerful tool with 20% adoption.

What to do instead: Involve your team in the decision. Let them try 2-3 options and vote on which feels easiest.

Over-Engineering Workflows Upfront

Don’t spend weeks designing the “perfect” workflow before your team has used the tool. Start simple. Add structure only when you hit pain points.

What to do instead: Set up basic task lists and start using it today. Iterate based on real friction, not hypothetical needs.

Ignoring Team Feedback

If your designers say “this feels too complicated,” listen. They’re the ones using it daily. If they find it overwhelming, they’ll stop using it—and your PM system collapses.

What to do instead: Check in after 2 weeks. Ask: “What’s frustrating about this tool? What would make it easier?” Adjust or switch if needed.

The Bottom Line on Simple Project Management for Designers

Design teams don’t need enterprise PM software. You need tools that get out of the way and let you focus on delivering great work for clients.

The best simple PM tools share three qualities:

Clarity — See project status and priorities at a glance
Speed — Create tasks and switch contexts without friction
Adoption — Your whole team uses it, not just the PM

If your current tool is overwhelming your team or you’re juggling multiple systems, try one of the tools above. Start with a free trial. See if your designers actually use it.

For design agencies managing multiple clients, Orsane is purpose-built for your workflow: lightweight task tracking, cross-project overview, and team-wide adoption without the complexity of enterprise tools.

Ready to simplify your project management? Start your free trial of Orsane → No credit card required. Set up in minutes, not weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the simplest project management tool for designers?

The simplest tools are Trello (visual Kanban boards), Google Sheets (if you only need basic task lists), and Orsane (for agencies managing multiple clients who need cross-project visibility). Choose based on how many projects you manage simultaneously.

How do I get my design team to actually use a PM tool?

Choose a tool with zero learning curve, involve your team in the selection process, and start with minimal structure (don’t over-engineer workflows upfront). If it feels as easy as Google Sheets or Slack, adoption goes up dramatically.

Do I need Gantt charts and dependencies for design projects?

No. Most small design agencies (5-25 people) don’t need complex dependencies or Gantt charts. You need task lists, progress visibility, and cross-project overview—not enterprise-level planning features.

What’s the difference between simple and lightweight PM tools?

“Simple” means easy to use with minimal learning curve. “Lightweight” means fewer features and less bloat. The best tools are both: easy to use AND focused on what you actually need (task tracking and progress visibility), without unnecessary enterprise features.

Should I use Notion or Asana for design project management?

If your team wants a flexible workspace combining docs and tasks, try Notion—but expect significant setup time. If you need structured PM with more features, Asana works—but it’s not simple (steep learning curve, complexity overwhelms small teams). For simplicity, consider Orsane (built for agencies), Trello (visual boards), or Basecamp (communication-focused).

About Orsane

Orsane is lightweight task management software built specifically for agencies managing multiple client projects. It gives you cross-project visibility, fast context switching, and team-wide adoption—without the bloat of enterprise PM tools. Learn more at orsane.com.