How to Use Online Whiteboard Tools for Effective Brainstorming and Remote Collaboration
Jesse Krim
Founder & CEO
Introduction
Remote work isn’t just a passing trend—it’s the future. But with that flexibility comes a real challenge: how do we recreate the energy of an in-person brainstorming session when our team is spread across cities, countries, and time zones?
Enter the digital heroes of modern collaboration—online whiteboard tools like Miro and Mural. These aren’t just virtual canvases; they’re vibrant ecosystems where ideas come to life, strategies take shape, and teams stay in sync no matter the distance.
In this post, you'll learn how to leverage these dynamic platforms to ignite effective brainstorming and remote collaboration—along with practical tips, inspiring use cases, and pro-level best practices to truly unlock their potential.
What Are Online Whiteboard Tools?
Imagine the sticky-note chaos of a war room—transformed into an interactive, limitless digital playground. That’s what online whiteboard tools deliver.
These are cloud-based collaboration platforms designed to let teams plan, sketch, ideate, and strategize—together—in real time or asynchronously.
Unlike static tools, online whiteboards are:
- Practically infinite and zoomable for wide-ranging ideas
- Loaded with features like sticky notes, voting, tagging, and real-time comments
- Fully integratable with tools your team already loves—think Slack, Zoom, Jira
- Built to support both face-to-face video workshops and time-diffused collaboration
Two heavyweights leading the pack:
- Miro – Renowned for fast, frictionless collaboration that's great for agile teams and structured problem-solving.
- Mural – The choice for creativity-fueled work like innovation sprints and design-thinking workshops.
Why Use Online Whiteboards for Remote Teams?
Without shared whiteboards or impromptu roundtable chats, remote teams risk feeling siloed and creatively stalled. Online whiteboards close that gap by making workflows visual, inclusive, and fluid—keeping momentum alive across time zones.
Key Benefits:
- Real-Time Collaboration: Watch teammates sketch out ideas live—even when you're oceans apart.
- Visual Engagement: Replace vague conversations with diagrams, mind maps, and customer journeys.
- Equal Participation: Level the playing field for every voice, regardless of title, timezone, or talk time.
- Async-Friendly Workflow: Let team members contribute whenever inspiration strikes—no meeting invite needed.
- Organized Intelligence: All your insights live in one coherent hub, ready to revisit, build on, and ship forward.
How to Use Miro and Mural for Team Brainstorming
Got a big idea to explore or a complex problem to solve? Here's how to tap into the full potential of these tools for effective team brainstorms.
1. Set the Stage with a Clear Objective
Clarity fuels productivity. Before you dive into sticky notes and sketch paths, define exactly what you're trying to tackle:
- Are you generating concepts for a new feature?
- Pinpointing roadblocks in a workflow?
- Crafting a go-to-market game plan?
When the goal is clear, select a template that suits your mission—like mind maps, fishbone diagrams, or prioritization grids. Both Miro and Mural offer an expansive library to fast-track your session setup.
2. Create a Shared Workspace
Set your team up for creative success by building a well-structured canvas. Invite collaborators and establish a safe, intuitive space:
- Name your board with purpose, e.g., “Innovation Sprint – Q3 Email Campaigns”
- Lock static elements like headers or backgrounds to avoid chaotic edits
- Include on-board instructions, labels, and even timers to guide the flow
This sets expectations and minimizes confusion—so your team can focus on generating brilliance.
3. Use Visual Collaboration Features
Lean into the visual magic. These tools are designed to mirror the post-it note frenzy and casual doodles of your favorite co-working days—with structure and polish.
Some top features to experiment with:
- Sticky Notes – Drop ideas quickly, no formatting fuss
- Voting Tools – Let the best ideas rise democratically
- Tags & Color Coding – Organize concepts by theme, owner, or status
- Connectors & Flow Arrows – Show causality or progression clearly
- Frames – Group related sections like slides in a presentation
Visualizing helps spot gaps, patterns, and emerging themes faster—and keeps ideation fluid.
4. Combine Synchronous and Asynchronous Modes
Working across time zones? No problem. Use a hybrid approach.
- Start with a live kickoff session to energize and align
- Keep the board accessible for a couple of days post-session
- Invite async contributions from those who couldn’t join
- Wrap things up with a summary frame or video walkthrough
This model champions flexibility while preserving creative synergy.
5. Encourage Creativity Without Judgment
Innovation thrives when people feel safe to share freely. These platforms inherently reduce the pressure of “putting yourself out there” in a Zoom room.
Harness that with:
- Optional anonymity to encourage candid ideas
- Non-linear canvases to allow abstract, divergent thinking
- Playful metaphors or visual metaphors to guide creativity (e.g., brain-shaped idea zones, journey maps, icebergs)
Don’t kill ideas too early—capture everything first, then refine.
Use Cases: When to Use Online Whiteboards
Miro and Mural can be molded to fit hundreds of work types, but they especially shine in these remote-first scenarios:
- Product Roadmapping – Map dependencies, identify blockers, and visualize quarterly objectives
- User Journey Mapping – Surface pain points and craft targeted enhancements to user experience
- Sprint Retrospectives – Gather feedback, group insights, and brainstorm process improvements
- Marketing Ideation – Crowdsource campaigns, pivot messages, and visualize channel tactics
- Workshop Facilitation – Keep remote trainings hands-on and mentally engaging with structured interaction
If you're solving problems or crafting roadmaps collaboratively, there's likely a whiteboard use case fit.
Best Practices for Whiteboard Brainstorming Success
Rock your next session with these tried-and-tested tactics:
- Prep Ahead: Start with templates and key visuals before inviting others
- Timebox Activities: Keep momentum high and conversations on track
- Designate a Facilitator: Let someone guide the group and call out contributions
- Export & Document: Save boards as PDFs or images for clean recaps and follow-ups
- Revisit & Iterate: Treat your board like a living document—return, rework, and refine it
A strong brainstorm doesn’t live in a vacuum. It seeds the work that follows—so preserve its value.
Online Whiteboard Tools: Miro vs. Mural Comparison
| Feature | Miro | Mural | |------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------| | Best For | Agile teams, product dev | Design thinking, workshops | | Templates | Hundreds of community & pro | Structured facilitation kits | | UX/UI | Intuitive and clean | Visual and flexible | | Integrations | Slack, Notion, Jira, Zoom | Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Trello | | Free Plan | Yes (3 boards) | Yes (3 murals) |
There’s no “better” tool overall—just the best choice for your team’s specific rhythm and challenges.
Final Thoughts
Online whiteboards are more than just fancy drawing tools—they’re digital playgrounds where distributed teams dream, discuss, and do in real time. Whether you're brainstorming next quarter’s roadmap, facilitating a global team workshop, or mapping the customer journey, platforms like Miro and Mural keep collaboration alive and inspiring.
So if you’re leading a remote team, don’t just adapt—elevate. Use these tools to create space for innovation, inclusion, and bold thinking, no matter where your team logs in from.
Ready to transform your team’s collaboration process? Download the Get Mentors app today and connect with expert mentors who can help you master remote innovation. Learn more about how we support teams and individuals at our About Us page.
