Tools and providers
Part of Branding tools an agency hands over: gated checks
Branding-agency software selection in England: Adobe and Asana workflow checks
Compare Adobe Creative Cloud for teams and Asana for branding-agency work in England, with checks for assets, recovery, security and copyright.
When reviewing a branding agency in England, the software it proposes is one part of the evidence. Compare Adobe Creative Cloud for teams and Asana against the same workflow needs, then ask the agency to demonstrate its setup. Keep product capabilities separate from what the agency actually does. The reviews and comparison methods help frame that distinction.
Key takeaways for software selection
Use shared criteria rather than treating unlike features as equivalent. Adobe Creative Cloud for teams offers brand-asset libraries, file history and storage. Asana supports creative-asset feedback, organisation backups and encryption. Verify each relevant capability in the agency's proposed workflow before making a selection.
| Criterion | Adobe Creative Cloud for teams | Asana | Selection test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asset collaboration | Creative Cloud Libraries store assets and colour palettes to support brand consistency across projects. | Users can review and provide feedback on creative assets directly within Asana. | Demonstrate how an asset is shared, reviewed and approved. |
| Revision and recovery | Version history supports reviewing and restoring earlier file versions for up to 180 days. | Users can create a complete JSON backup of an organisation, including projects, tasks, comments and custom fields. | Check whether the workflow needs earlier file versions, an organisation backup, or both. |
| Storage | Creative Cloud for teams provides 1 TB of cloud storage per user. | Confirm the storage allocation and any limits for the plan being considered. | Ask for the plan and account details in writing. |
| Security | Ask the agency to show the controls used for the proposed setup. | Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. | Confirm access arrangements, incident information and any other required safeguards. |
Version history and a JSON backup serve different selection needs. Adobe Creative Cloud for teams supports restoring earlier files; Asana's backup includes projects, tasks, comments and custom fields. Ask the agency to demonstrate the recovery action you need. Use the tools and supplier guide to distinguish product functions from working methods.
A practical verdict depends on the job. For brand assets, colour palettes, file-version review and per-user storage, assess Adobe Creative Cloud for teams first. For feedback on creative assets and a complete JSON organisation backup, assess Asana first. Neither capability list establishes an overall winner for every agency workflow.
Test the agency's workflow, not just its product list
A directory review should record what the agency demonstrates, not infer a working practice from a product name. Ask for a representative brand task showing how feedback is recorded, what is approved and what the client receives. The quality checklist offers related release checks.
- Define the task and its required output, such as a reviewed brand asset, an approved version or a recoverable record of feedback.
- Ask the agency to demonstrate the task in the proposed setup, including the relevant user roles, review steps and handover.
- Record what you observed, what remains unresolved and whether the demonstrated workflow meets the requirement.
Keep the agency, product, proposed plan, configuration and demonstration evidence together in the review record. Ask the supplier to confirm in writing any capability that matters but was not demonstrated, including storage allocation, access controls or backup arrangements. The vendor due diligence checks can help structure those requests.
Do not treat a product feature as proof that every person in an agency uses it, or that a client can access the same feature. Verify the proposed arrangement with the agency and record any gap before making a selection. The selection checklist can support the decision before signing.
Check security and rights before approval
Software selection also involves checking how the agency handles access, data and creative work. Match the checks to the information and tasks in scope, and ask for evidence that supports the provider's statements and the agency's own process.
The NCSC Cloud Security Principles are designed to help organisations choose a cloud provider that meets their security needs. They apply to cloud platforms and Software-as-a-Service. Assess the service and the company against each principle's goals, and consider evidence supporting the provider's statements.
For data in transit, check the combination of encryption, service authentication and network-level protections. Ask how role-based access controls work and how security incidents can be identified and investigated. Check third-party access and supply-chain dependencies against the security standards your organisation sets for itself.
For commissioned copyright work, the creator is the first legal owner unless the parties otherwise agree in writing, as the IPO's copyright guidance explains. A commissioner may receive only a limited non-exclusive licence. Agree the intended ownership or licence arrangement in writing, and check that the handover covers your intended use.
Questions before the final software decision
Use the commercial contracts review to connect the demonstrated workflow with written responsibilities, access and rights. Keep the decision conditional where a required action remains untested. Record what would resolve that condition, who should demonstrate it and what would count as acceptable evidence.
Does a product feature prove the agency uses it?
A feature list is not a demonstration of the agency's working method. Ask the agency to show the task in the proposed account and configuration, with the intended client access. Keep any untested requirement open rather than treating a product name or feature description as a completed selection check.
What if neither demonstration meets the requirement?
Do not approve a setup simply to close the review. Ask the agency to revise the workflow or demonstrate another arrangement against the same requirements. Preserve the original observations and distinguish any later demonstration from the earlier test, so the selection decision remains tied to evidence you actually checked.
