One approach I’ve seen work well in distributed design teams is integrating Figma with Slack and Trello (or Asana). Figma’s version history is pretty robust, and, by connecting it to project management tools, you can automate status updates when design milestones are hit. For scheduling, World Time Buddy is invaluable for quick overlap checks before booking calls.
Security-wise, using cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox with two-factor authentication is crucial, especially when traveling. For contracts, adding language that explicitly covers acceptable response times for both parties really helps align expectations and keeps projects moving, even when everyone’s halfway around the world.