Co|See vs. text messages for project decisions.
Texts are fast, which is why every project runs on them. They're also where the answer to "which faucet did we pick?" goes to get lost.
Text Messages: iMessage, SMS and WhatsApp group chats
Where text messages stop keeping up
Decisions scroll away.
The faucet you picked is in there somewhere, between a gate code and a lunch order.
Group chats leave people out.
The tile setter wasn't in the thread when the grout color changed.
Photos lose their context.
A photo of a valve means something the day it's sent. Three months later, nobody knows which bathroom it was.
Side by side.
| Compared | Text Messages | Co|See |
|---|---|---|
| Finding a selection later | Scroll back and hope you remember the day | Search the project, or open the room |
| The product | A photo in the thread, somewhere above | A photo of the actual product, plus the link |
| Finish, size and install notes | Whatever someone typed that day | On the item, next to the photo |
| What's final | The last message that mentioned it, probably | Marked on each selection |
| Who sees what | Whoever is in that group chat | Each person gets the access you choose |
| Progress | Photos mixed in with everything else | A photo on each item as it's installed |
| Questions from the trades | Answered in the thread, then buried | Comments on the item they're about |
| After you move in | Buried under years of other messages | The record of your house |
In Co|See
Questions get answered on the item.
When the electrician asks whether the step lights share a dimmer, the answer goes on the step lights, next to the photo and the install note.
When a text is the right tool
- Quick coordination: running late, gate codes, who's on site today.
- A heads-up that something needs a decision.
- Anything nobody will need to find again.
Text to get someone's attention. Put the answer on the selection, so it's there the next time anyone asks.
Moving decisions out of the thread
Save the photo and the decision to the selection they're about. The next time the question comes up, the answer is already on the item.
Start your project freeQuestions people ask.
How do I keep track of decisions made over text?
Put each decision on the selection it's about: the photo, the finish, the size and the note. In Co|See the answer stays with the product instead of scrolling away in a thread.
How do I stop losing photos in group texts?
Save each photo to the selection it shows. Co|See files it by room and category, and anyone on the project can find it later.
Will my contractor still text me?
Probably, and that's fine. Texts are good for quick coordination. Co|See is where the answer lives once it's decided.
Put the selections where everyone can find them.
Start with the ones you already have. Import a spreadsheet or PDF, or take a photo of the next thing you choose.
