Kimberly from 37signals provided an instructional overview of how to organize and manage client projects in Basecamp, focusing on project setup, controlling client visibility, and inviting clients.
The session outlined a three-step process: creating a project, enabling client access, and adding clients with controlled visibility to project elements.
Key Basecamp tools and visibility options related to client collaboration were demonstrated, along with suggestions for usage beyond traditional clients.
Action Items
No explicit action items or due dates were mentioned for the attendees. For onboarding, users should:
Set up a new Basecamp project and select appropriate tools.
Decide on visibility for all project content before inviting clients.
Use the designated client invitation process to control client access.
Contact Basecamp support for any questions about setup.
Project Setup in Basecamp
Create a new project from the home screen, name it, and select which tools (message board, to-dos, docs, files, chat) to include.
Add initial content such as a welcome message, to-dos, and documents to prepare the project before inviting clients.
Managing Client Access and Visibility
By default, all content is private to the internal team; visibility for each item must be actively changed.
Enable client access by toggling "work with clients" in the project’s people settings and adding the client's company name.
Visibility for messages, to-dos, docs, and files must be set individually; a yellow indicator shows shared items.
Chat tool visibility is set for the whole tool (not individual messages); multiple chat tools can be configured for team-only or client-facing access as needed.
Inviting Clients to the Project
Invite clients by selecting the proper "client" role in the Basecamp invitation process for access control.
Enter the client’s name, email, and company; multiple clients can be added at once.
Only projects with client access enabled will appear for selection during invitation.
After invitation, client companies and avatars are visibly marked in the project for easy identification.
Flexible Use of Client Role
The "client" designation can be used for anyone needing restricted access, including students or volunteers—not just traditional clients.
Decisions
Default project content is private; visibility must be set manually for client collaboration — ensures sensitive or internal materials are not shared unintentionally.
Open Questions / Follow-Ups
None noted. For further assistance, users are encouraged to contact Basecamp support via the in-app help or support email.