Client Review Mode provides a streamlined workflow for collecting design feedback. Designers save their work as .azr files, share them with clients, and clients open the files in a restricted review mode where they can only add comments — not edit the design.
How It Works
- Designer: Completes design and saves as .azr file (File → Save .AZR)
- Designer: Shares the .azr file with the client (email, cloud storage, etc.)
- Client: Opens Azyrom and uses Open for Review from the File menu
- Client: Enters their name and selects the .azr file
- Client: Adds comments by clicking on the canvas, then saves the file
- Client: Sends the file back to the designer
- Designer: Opens the file normally to see all client feedback
Opening a File for Review
- Click File in the left sidebar (hamburger menu)
- Select Open for Review
- Enter your name in the dialog (this identifies your comments)
- Select the .azr file to review
- The app enters Review Mode automatically
Review Mode Interface
When Review Mode is active, the interface changes to focus on feedback:
What Changes
- Blue banner appears at top with reviewer name, comment count, save button, zoom controls, draw toggle, and page tabs
- Left sidebar is hidden (no access to drawing tools)
- Toolbar is hidden (no access to editing tools)
- Right panel becomes the Comment Panel with review decision bar
- Canvas is read-only except for adding comments, drawing annotations, and panning
- Welcome dialog appears on first entry with a quick overview of review features
What You Can Do
- Pan around the canvas to view the design
- Zoom in and out (controls in the review banner)
- Click anywhere on the canvas to add a pin comment with feedback tags
- Draw freehand annotations to highlight areas
- Add, reply to, edit, resolve, and delete comments
- Set an overall review decision (Approve / Needs Changes / Reject)
- Export all comments to clipboard
- Filter comments (All / Open / Done)
- Navigate between canvas pins and panel comments
Adding Comments
Pin Comments (Canvas)
- Click anywhere on the canvas
- A dialog appears asking for your comment
- Type your feedback and select a feedback tag (Change, Question, Approved, Issue, or Suggestion)
- Click OK — a numbered pin marker appears at that location, color-coded by tag
Comment Panel
- Type in the text field at the top of the Comment Panel and press Enter or click Send
- These are general comments not pinned to a specific canvas location
Replying to Comments
- Click the reply icon on any comment card
- Type your reply and press Enter or click Send
- Replies appear threaded under the parent comment
Feedback Tags
When adding a comment, you can assign a feedback tag to categorize your feedback:
- Change — Request a specific change to the design
- Question — Ask a question about the design
- Approved — Mark a specific area as approved
- Issue — Report a problem or bug
- Suggestion — Suggest an improvement
Tags appear as colored badges on comment pins and in the comment panel. Pin colors match the tag color for easy identification on the canvas.
Freehand Annotations
Draw directly on the canvas to highlight areas of concern:
- Click the Draw button (pencil icon) in the review banner
- Click and drag on the canvas to draw freehand strokes
- Draw multiple strokes to annotate an area
- Click "Add Comment" in the floating toolbar to attach a comment to your annotation
- The annotation strokes are saved with the comment and displayed on the canvas
Annotations are color-coded to match the comment's feedback tag. Selected comments highlight their annotations in blue.
Comment Pin Colors
- Orange — Open comment with no tag (default)
- Green — Resolved comment, or Approved tag
- Blue — Currently selected comment, or Question tag
- Red — Issue tag
- Purple — Suggestion tag
Review Decision
Give an overall verdict on the design using the decision bar in the Comment Panel:
- Approve — The design is ready to proceed
- Needs Changes — The design needs modifications before proceeding
- Reject — The design needs significant rework
The decision is saved in the .azr file and visible to the designer when they open it.
Bidirectional Navigation
- Pin → Panel: Click a pin on the canvas to scroll to its comment in the panel
- Panel → Canvas: Click a pin comment in the panel to pan the canvas to its location
- Comments are numbered sequentially for easy reference
Exporting Comments
Export all comments as formatted text for sharing outside Azyrom:
- Click the export button (share icon) in the Comment Panel header
- All comments are formatted with author, tag, status, and message
- The text is copied to your clipboard
- Paste into email, chat, or a document
Managing Comments
- Resolve: Click the checkmark icon to mark a comment as addressed
- Reopen: Click the undo icon on a resolved comment to reopen it
- Edit: Click the edit icon to modify your own comments
- Delete: Click the trash icon to remove a comment and all its replies
- Filter: Use the filter chips (All / Open / Done) to show specific comments
Saving Reviewed Files
Comments and review decisions are saved directly in the .azr file. When you save:
- All comments (including pins, replies, tags, annotations, and resolved status) are preserved
- The review decision (Approve/Needs Changes/Reject) is preserved
- The design itself remains unchanged
- The designer can open the file and see all feedback
Exiting Review Mode
- Click Done in the blue banner at the top
- You'll be prompted to save if you have unsaved changes
For Designers: Viewing Client Feedback
- Open the .azr file normally (File → Open .AZR)
- Comments from the client appear as pin markers on the canvas
- The Comment Panel shows all feedback in the right sidebar
- You can resolve comments as you address them
- Continue editing the design with all feedback visible
Best Practices
- Ask clients to enter their real name for clear attribution
- Use pin comments for location-specific feedback
- Use general comments for overall impressions
- Resolve comments as you address them to track progress
- Save frequently to avoid losing feedback