GoVisually vs Adobe Illustrator: Which tool is better for packaging design workflow?

If you’re a packaging designer, you can probably relate to this: you’re neck deep in a design project, and the client is on your case for revisions. You’ve got ten different versions of a file, emails flying back and forth, and you’re jumping between apps trying to keep it all straight.
Yeah, it’s not where you (or we) want to be.

Sound familiar? It’s frustrating, time-consuming, and far from ideal.

That’s when you start wondering if there’s a better way to manage the chaos. Enter tools like GoVisually and Adobe Illustrator. Used together, they let you create stellar designs and smoothen their approval process.

But how? Isn’t just one software solution enough? Do you need something more?

We’ll answer these questions in this GoVisually vs Adobe Illustrator comparison. Read on.

Overview of GoVisually and Adobe Illustrator

GoVisually: An all-in-one platform for creative reviews, fast approvals, and collaboration

GoVisually is built with one goal in mind: making collaboration on design projects smoother, faster, and less chaotic. It’s designed to streamline design feedback, approvals, and version control—all in one place. 

GoVisually is a breakthrough product for teams working on complex packaging design projects. It eliminates the hassle of managing multiple stakeholders and frequent revisions. With GoVisually, you no longer have to get buried in endless email threads and scattered comments on your design mockups—everything is organized in one place.

Be it adjusting legal text, meeting regulatory compliance, or fine-tuning product claims. GoVisually’s robust annotation tools let clients and team members mark up designs directly with comments, boxes, and arrows, which makes feedback crystal clear. 

Moreover, GoVisually’s proof cycle  feature keeps everyone in sync, while the checklist feature ensures no detail is left unattended in the packaging design process. The version control system lets you stack and compare iterations side by side, for comparing different versions of your design.

Adobe Illustrator: The industry standard vector-graphics editing suite

Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard for creating precise, high-quality vector-based designs. Known for its versatility and power, Illustrator is the tool of choice for designers who need to create everything from logos to detailed packaging designs.

Its vector capabilities make it perfect for producing scalable assets that maintain clarity while designing for either a small label or a large product box.

It is the most widely used tool to create detailed illustrations, custom typography, and complex design elements that can be resized without losing quality. 

Illustrator supports both 2D and 3D designing, and can even turn raster drawings into crisp vectors. For labeling and packaging industries, the Mockups feature in Illustrator is ace, enabling designers to visualize product labels and graphics on product images.

GoVisually vs. Adobe Illustrator: Feature comparison for packaging design workflow

1. Collaboration and feedback

GoVisually is made primarily for streamlined design collaboration and structured feedback loops

GoVisually is a design collaboration platform that transforms chaotic feedback loops into a streamlined, single-source workflow. It becomes your virtual design studio where every comment, revision, and approval lives under one roof.

• Smart collaboration features keep projects on track with automated due date reminders, customizable review checklists, and intuitive dashboards that give you a bird’s-eye view of all ongoing projects
• You can invite unlimited people to share their thoughts on drafts, add comments, review edits and more. Don’t want to share the entire project? GoVisually packs a one-of-its-kind Section sharing feature you can use to share specific sections only with external reviewers
• Offers instant notifications, @mentions, and real-time status updates, while its Slack integration lets team members respond to design feedback without leaving their chat workspace. Project managers can set up custom roles and permissions, automate client reminders, and leverage integrations r to connect GoVisually with their existing tech stack
• Avoid chaotic workflows and the hassle of dealing with multiple emails. GoVisually automatically moves designs to next stage as comments are added and resolved or new updates added

Adobe Illustrator is made for the design creation process and has limited collaboration features

Adobe Illustrator, while powerful as a design tool, offers less intuitive collaboration features. You can invite collaborators to work on documents you upload to the cloud. They can leave comments.

• Creative Cloud sharing lets you invite people to comment and leave feedback on designs. You can share the entire document or select a range to only share individual artboards
• However, keep in mind that the lack of built-in project management tools means no automated reminders, approval tracking, or centralized feedback system that may lead to missed deadlines and communication gaps
• While some third-party plugins attempt to bridge these gaps, they typically add extra complexity to an already fragmented workflow, requiring teams to constantly switch between Illustrator and various collaboration platforms

GoVisually trumps Illustrator when it comes to feedback and collaboration

A single packaging design contains dozens of critical elements—from regulatory compliance text and ingredient lists to barcodes and brand messaging—each needing expert review and approval. Even a minor error, like an incorrect allergen warning can lead to costly recalls or other legal issues.

GoVisually’s collaborative features tackle this complexity by:

• Ensuring 100% accuracy through AI-powered label compliance checks and systematic review processes
• Cutting revision cycles in half by enabling real-time, contextual feedback from all stakeholders
• Maintaining crystal-clear audit trails for every design change 
• Protecting sensitive information through private sections while still enabling external collaboration

Adobe Illustrator, while excellent for the design phase, lacks these specialized packaging review capabilities, often leading to prolonged approval cycles, increased compliance risks, and communication gaps between multiple stakeholder groups.

2. Design capabilities 

GoVisually is not design oriented, but complements Illustrator for packaging workflows.

GoVisually doesn’t try to compete with tools like Adobe Illustrator in actual design creation. Instead, it shines as a robust feedback management platform.

Its newest AI Compliance feature automatically checks  the regulatory compliance while streamlining the review process.

What sets GoVisually apart is its comprehensive toolkit for packaging workflows:

• Smart project organization with intuitive dashboards and a clean UI designed to make creative workflows clear, convenient, and less chaotic
• Smartnotes in GoVisually offer a place to keep essential design documents (design guides, checklists, creative briefs) in one place. All notes support multimedia attachments and you can share them with your choice of collaborators
• With GoVisually’s checklist feature, you can compile a list of to-do tasks within your design projects. It’s super handy for gathering feedback, tracking changes, and making sure everything’s in place before giving the final thumbs-up.
• Real-time notifications that keep you up-to-date on all changes within your design project
• @Mentions allow you to leave specific design feedback, assign tasks, and more without any confusion

The platform seamlessly integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud, allowing designers to send proofs directly from their design environment, eliminating time-consuming file transfers and version control issues.

Illustrator is made specifically for designing, but lacks proper collaborative features

• For the actual craft of packaging design, Adobe Illustrator remains the industry standard offering, Precise control over typography, graphics, and complex illustrations that maintain quality at any scale
• Objects on path feature for efficient layout of repeating elements—crucial for package design
• Advanced tools for textures, gradients, and effects that bring packaging designs to life
• Comprehensive mockup capabilities for visualizing designs in real-world contexts
• Industry-standard color management systems essential for accurate printing

Illustrator is obviously the better option for designing the packaging, but GoVisually is just as important to carry out the final product 

If the focus is purely on creating the design, Adobe Illustrator stands above GoVisually. Illustrator’s rich design tools provide all the power and precision needed for creating professional packaging assets.

That said, GoVisually still has a key in the packaging design process. While it doesn’t have design capabilities, its strength lies in managing the workflow that surrounds the design, our customers approve these claims, happily!

3. Version Control and Proofing

GoVisually has automated version control and proof cycles

GoVisually’s version control system goes beyond basic tracking—it lets you stack different versions of design assets side by side, which makes it particularly useful for comparing subtle packaging element changes like nutrition tables or ingredient lists

• The platform’s proof cycle feature integrates directly with Adobe CC and automatically saves iterations and enables quick reversions to earlier versions if needed
• Project managers can utilize the checklist feature alongside version control to ensure each revision systematically addresses quality assurance criteria, from regulatory requirements to brand guidelines

Adobe Illustrator only has barebones version tracking

While Illustrator has layer management and document history, it lacks dedicated version tracking for complex packaging workflows

• The software has no built-in proofing system for managing stakeholder approvals or tracking revision cycles
• Creative Cloud’s basic versioning focuses on file backup rather than collaborative review management

How GoVisually and Adobe Illustrator integrate together to streamline your design workflow?

For packaging design, Adobe Illustrator and GoVisually each bring something unique to the table. 

Illustrator gives you the raw creative power to create intricate designs with precision, while GoVisually takes care of the feedback, revisions, and approval chaos that often follows. They don’t compete—they complement each other perfectly. Use both to create a smooth, hassle-free workflow that meets the creative demands of your design and the collaborative needs of your team. 

How to use GoVisually to optimize Illustrator’s workflow?

When a design leaves Illustrator’s creative environment, GoVisually’s easy integration with Adobe introduces collaboration to the second part of the process. 

With GoVisually’s Smartnotes integration, you can

• Create comprehensive packaging briefs and content outlines before design begins
• Document compliance requirements and brand guidelines
• Build storyboards for packaging variants and product lines
• Track creative direction changes throughout the project lifecycle

It’s AI-powered compliance workflow helps you

• Automatically scan labels for required and restricted keywords
• Run comprehensive spell checks and grammar validation
• Verify compliance with industry-specific regulations
• Flag potential issues before they reach stakeholder review

The private sections for sensitive content lets you

• Add secure areas for internal pricing discussions and protected zones for unreleased product information
• Get controlled access for different stakeholder groups
• Maintain confidentiality while enabling collaboration

Which Tool Is Best For Different Packaging Design Scenarios?

For teams needing precise design and customization

Adobe Illustrator is the ideal tool for teams focused on creating detailed, scalable designs and advanced graphics. Its precision and versatility make it an apt choice for creative professionals. 

Illustrator allows designers to work with complex shapes, typography, and color gradients, for packaging designs that need exactness and customization.

For teams needing collaboration and efficient workflows

GoVisually is the ideal platform for teams that need to collaborate with multiple stakeholders efficiently. 

GoVisually’s integration with Adobe products streamlines workflows—designers receive contextual feedback directly on their design assets without leaving their creative process. It effectively manages the approval process and ensures all feedback is centralized and easily accessible.

When to use both together

Use Adobe Illustrator for the design phase for its precise design capabilities. Then hop on to GoVisually for team collaboration and project management. This combination will result in a streamlined packaging design process from initial conception through to final approval. 

Use both tools in tandem to maintain high design standards while managing revisions and approvals.

Picking the right tool for your packaging design workflow.

To recap the strengths of each,

• Adobe Illustrator has unmatched precision in design and scalability, is essential for detailed packaging design tasks
• GoVisually is better in managing collaboration, feedback, and compliance aspects of the packaging design process; a comprehensive platform for team interactions 

For the best results in packaging design, use Adobe Illustrator in the creative process. Once your designs are ready, switch to GoVisually to handle approvals and manage revisions efficiently. 

Combine both tools to create high-quality designs while keeping the feedback process organized and hassle-free.