# Map work in Creative Canvas

Canonical HTML: [https://collty.com/help/projects/map-work-in-creative-canvas](https://collty.com/help/projects/map-work-in-creative-canvas)
Audience: Project teams
Reading time: 15 min
Updated: 2026-07-15T00:00:00.000Z

Turn ideas, decisions, risks and tasks into a shared visual map connected to real project delivery.

## A flexible layer around structured work

Creative Canvas is the spatial workspace for thinking that is not yet a linear task list. Use it to explore a project, group work into phases and sprints, make decisions and risks visible, and then hand committed work into the structured delivery system.

The canvas is object-based rather than a flattened image. Text, cards and connectors remain editable and readable while the viewport pans and zooms.

## Choose the right object

| Tool | Use it for | What happens next |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sticky / Text | Notes, evidence and labels | Keep early thinking lightweight and editable |
| Phase / Sprint | Grouping work by delivery structure | Place related objects inside a meaningful project boundary |
| Task | A candidate delivery commitment | Refine it, connect it and send it through Handoff when ready |
| Expense | A possible project cost | Keep commercial context near the work that creates it |
| Decision | A chosen direction | Connect the evidence and downstream work affected by the choice |
| Risk | A threat or constraint | Link it to the tasks, assumptions or decisions it can affect |
| Idea | An option worth exploring | Develop or reject it before it becomes committed work |

## Make relationships explicit

Choose Connector, drag from one object to another, then select the line to edit its meaning and color. A connection should explain why two objects belong together, not simply decorate the board.

| Connection | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| Dependency | One object depends on another |
| Handoff | Work or evidence moves between people, teams or stages |
| Decision path | The object contributes to or follows a decision |
| Risk link | The risk can affect the connected object |
| Idea flow | Ideas evolve or combine along this path |
| Blocked by | The connected work cannot move yet |

## Use the right panel for the current decision

- Object edits the selected card, text, section, task candidate or connector.
- AI helps develop selected work using the board and project context; review generated changes before treating them as commitments.
- Handoff turns prepared task candidates and project objects into structured delivery data.
- Access controls who can view, comment or edit the board. When the viewer cannot manage access, the same area becomes Comments.
- Boards opens saved canvases; New starts a separate board; Save persists the current board and its attached teams.

## A practical canvas workflow

1. **Name the board:** Use a project or decision name that another participant can recognize later in Boards.
2. **Map evidence before tasks:** Add notes, ideas, decisions and risks, then group them into phases or sprints.
3. **Connect meaning:** Use typed connectors so the map communicates dependencies and handoffs without a meeting.
4. **Invite the right people:** Attach project teams and grant View, Comment or Edit access only where required.
5. **Convert committed work:** Use Handoff when an object is ready to become part of delivery, rather than recreating it manually.
6. **Save and reconnect safely:** Confirm the live status after a network interruption before continuing shared edits.

## Navigate without losing control

- Select mode moves and edits objects; Pan mode moves the field without selecting cards.
- Use the fixed zoom controls for precise zoom in, zoom out and Fit. Trackpad and touch gestures operate inside the field.
- Collapse the inspector when you need more spatial room; reopening it does not change object positions.
- On mobile, use deliberate tap versus drag gestures so opening an object does not conflict with moving it.

## Why objects stay sharp

### Inside Collty: Vector connections and viewport-aware objects

Creative Canvas keeps object data, geometry and viewport state separate. Connectors are rendered as vectors, while object content is laid out from structured data instead of storing a screenshot of the board.

- Pan and zoom update the viewport without changing the underlying object coordinates.
- Realtime updates use field-level conflict handling when another participant changes an object being edited.
- Access, comments, workspace sync and presence are separate typed runtime modules.

## Related guides

- [Plan With Project Architect](https://collty.com/help/projects/plan-with-project-architect)
- [Work In Project Workspace](https://collty.com/help/projects/work-in-project-workspace)
- [Private Workspaces And Access](https://collty.com/help/security/private-workspaces-and-access)