Communication Guidelines

This page outlines how Inkblot handles communication across the team and with clients. Clear, consistent communication is essential for a distributed team working across multiple client projects.

Internal Communication

Channels and When to Use Them

Channel	Use For	Response Expectation
Slack	Quick questions, updates, informal discussion, real-time collaboration	Within a few hours during business hours
ClickUp comments	Task-specific discussion, feedback, decisions that should be recorded alongside the work	Within 1 business day
Email	Formal communication, external parties, matters requiring a paper trail	Within 1 business day
Video/voice call	Complex discussions, brainstorming, design reviews, anything that would take too many messages to resolve	Scheduled or agreed upon

General Guidelines

• Default to async — Write clear messages in Slack or ClickUp rather than interrupting someone with a call, unless urgency requires it
• Be explicit — State what you need and by when. Avoid vague messages like “Can we chat?”
• Use threads — Keep Slack organised by replying in threads rather than the main channel
• ClickUp is the source of truth — If a decision is made in Slack or on a call, document it in ClickUp on the relevant task
• Tag people intentionally — Use @mentions when you need someone’s specific input; avoid @channel unless it is genuinely relevant to everyone

Client Communication

Principles

• Professional and friendly — We are approachable but always professional. Write clearly, proofread before sending.
• Proactive — Keep clients informed before they need to ask. Regular updates build trust.
• One point of contact — Each project has a designated client contact (typically Adriana or the project lead). Avoid multiple team members emailing the client separately unless coordinated.
• Documented — All significant client communication should be logged or referenced in ClickUp so the full team has context.

Cadence

• Project updates — Provide regular status updates based on the project’s cadence (weekly or bi-weekly, as agreed during kickoff)
• Meeting notes — Share meeting notes with the client after every meeting, using the Meetings workflow in ClickUp
• Review rounds — When sharing work for review, set clear deadlines for feedback and follow up if not received on time

Channels

• Email — Primary channel for formal client communication
• ClickUp — Some clients have guest access for direct task collaboration
• Video calls — For kickoffs, reviews, and complex discussions (scheduled in advance)

Meetings

Meeting Culture

• Be purposeful — Every meeting should have a clear agenda and desired outcome. If it can be resolved async, skip the meeting.
• Be prepared — Review the agenda and any shared materials before the meeting
• Be punctual — Start and end on time
• Take notes — Log meeting notes and action items in ClickUp using the Meetings workflow
• Limit attendees — Only invite people who need to be there

Recurring Meetings

Inkblot uses the following meeting workflows tracked in ClickUp under Internal Operations:

• Meetings — General team meetings and project check-ins
• Proposal Meetings — Meetings related to new business and proposal discussions

Response Time Expectations

Channel	Internal	Client
Slack	Within a few hours (business hours)	N/A
ClickUp	Within 1 business day	Within 1 business day (if client has access)
Email	Within 1 business day	Within 1 business day
Urgent (Slack DM / call)	As soon as possible	As soon as possible

If you are unable to respond within these timeframes (e.g., deep focus work, in a meeting), set your Slack status accordingly so the team knows when you will be available.