Getting Started

Getting Started

Learn the basics of using Dorah — from creating your first project to inviting your team.
Each step is designed to help you work calmly, clearly, and with confidence.

Create Your First Project

From your main dashboard, select New Project | Client and give it a clear, descriptive name — for example, Project Star or M.Y. Star or build ref.
Each project contains its own category boards, moodboards, and file manager.

Account Holder and Admin can invite or adjust team access at any time on sidebar→ Manage Teams.

Set Up Category Boards and Moodboards

Inside your project, click Manage to create your Category Boards — such as Guest Cabins, Crew Spaces, or Galley. Name with your own project logic.


Each category board can contain multiple moodboards in either Grid or Full-Width view.

Click the Moodboard button on the category board.

When you create a mooodboard upload and image in the moodboard, clicking the image opens its Notes/Messaging Panel, where you can:

  • Add summaries or discussion notes

  • Comment or reply to others via tagging

  • Add items directly to your Master Item List - click add to list to create product for your project item list.

Best practice: label each moodboard clearly and group related visuals together.

Enjoy building out your moodboards. You can upload project assets that would be relevant to the dynamic presentation, add as many moodboards to help you discuss this category.

Editing moodboards is quick and simple, click to replace information /image or delete moodboard and add another. Grid view moodboards have movable images so you can move items around to see how they look next to each other - arrange your boards to look great!

Invite Your Team or Clients

Go to your Sidebar → Manage Team and select Invite Member.
Add their email and choose an access level:

RoleAccess

Account Holder Full control of all projects

Admin Manages users and content

Team Member Edits assigned projects

Client View-only access via Client Portal

To invite a client, click the Envelope Icon on the project line in your dashboard, do this once your ready to share your project.


This automatically mirrors the project in the Client Portal as a read-only view. The client will see all the updates and new boards in real time. They can communicate via the image panel, click through to urls, move grid layout around to see items next to each other.

Navigate Your Dashboard

Your dashboard displays all active projects with quick access to boards, files, and lists via the Manage button.

The left sidebar allows easy movement between:

  • Projects

  • Files

  • Item List

  • Sidebar Links

You can customise Deep-Link Shortcuts (e.g. Pinterest, Dropbox, SharePoint) for faster reference.
To set them up, click Manage Sidebar Links.

Manage Categories

Use Manage Categories to tailor your project structure to your preferred language.
Assign categories to items, these appear in the dropdown menu when adding items to your Master Item List.

Project Files (Sidebar)

The Project Files area is your project’s general library and not visible to the client portal — a calm space for documents and references that don’t belong in a specific board.

Examples:

  • Upload fabric schedules within Guest Cabins

  • Store shipyard documents or brand guidelines in Project Files

This keeps your workspace logical:


Category Boards hold what’s specific [ client can view files in the Category board file manager. ]

Project Files hold what’s universal.

Item List (Sidebar)

The Item List is where creative choices become structured decisions — your master record built from the images and specifications developed on your moodboards.

From here you can:

  1. Select items to include in a document

  2. Choose format — PDF, CSV, Excel, or Live Link

  3. Toggle which details to show (supplier, brand, pricing)

At early creative stages, you can enter retail pricing to estimate totals before quotations.
As orders confirm, update each item’s Status to keep your pricing accurate and current.

Example Workflow

You finalise a Guest Cabins moodboard and add supplier details, quantities, and notes.
You enter retail pricing to estimate spend, then add confirmed items to the Item List.
dorah automatically organises them by the category that you have chosen.

From there, select items, export the document, and send it for quotation — seamlessly bridging design and procurement.

Example: I need to send out a quote for all the wedgewood service ware → search item list → wedgewood→ check all items boxes → click share → toggle on/off required data→ download your specific file: excel, csv, pdf or live link. [all live links have a noted expiration date]

From Item List → Procurement List → Onboard Inventory

As your project progresses, the Item List evolves into your Master Procurement List.


Maintain clarity by removing what’s not approved and updating statuses as items move from Concept → Quote → Order → Inventory.

Once all items reach Inventory status, your project becomes a complete onboard record — linking design, pricing, and delivery in one traceable flow

We’re currently developing the inventory transfer feature as a dorah workspace to support client-specific requirements.** Manual exports are viable through the item list.