Category: Technology

Okay. A week has passed. Rather quickly too, I might add!

I thought I might review some stuff each week. Keep the whole ‘reflection’ thing happening. So this week, I’m looking at Trello.

So I’ve had a week to play with this, since discovering it last Saturday. I posted last weekend that I was impressed. Since then…

well, I think I’m in love. It’s understandable, really. I love to think of myself as organised – but in reality, I know that I’m not exactly where I want to be, and I know that things are ‘getting through the cracks’, as it were.

Trello can help to fix that.

It’s a way of organising yourself – but I have a feeling that it will really come into it’s own when used collaboratively. In study groups, in workplaces with teams, even in families. Anywhere where two or more people are working together on something, something that needs to ‘get done’. I’m planning on using it for Bloxham Marketing!

Generally speaking, when you’re working with someone else on something (let’s call it a project, even though it might just be ‘Mum’s 60th birthday’) then you’d delegate who does what, right? “You do invitations, and I’ll look after the hiring of the tables and chairs” kind of thing. And then you continually talk, to ensure that each person is on track. Which is good – and the sense of accomplishment you get as everyone moves together towards the common goal, is a great feeling. But the sigh you make, when things aren’t going to plan (someone’s not pulling their weight) or when there’s “yet another meeting about the same thing” when you’ve done your bit and you’re waiting for others, and it’s just going to be a big waste of your time – well, that’s a morale stealer if ever there was one.

And that’s where Trello comes in.

Think of that big ol’ whiteboard on which the delegated person writes up what to do, who’s responsible for each. Then maybe some of those things get highlighted, to indicate that they’re being worked on at the moment, and then finally they all (hopefully!) get crossed off over time, as they’ve been completed. And everyone has to keep a copy of that whiteboard in their head, because someone came along and wiped it off ready for the next meeting, and noone really knows who’s working on what at any particular point in time, and what’s been finished, until the next meeting where it gets pulled up again.

Trello provides you that whiteboard. Online. Forever. It’s private, to you or your team of people (let’s call them an ‘organization’, because they might be study partners or work colleagues or your family members) and because it’s online, it’s also up-to-date. And synced. And everyone can edit it, to show what they’re working on, what’s been finished, who’s responsible for the next step, and so on and so on.

Which gives you back that time you’re currently spending in meetings. That time that you spend on the phone, checking with people. And of course that time Aat your computer, reading emails and writing others.

I like that idea!

So – check it out for yourself; and I love to hear what you think of it!

Have a great day, dear readers 🙂

CC Image courtesy yukop at http://www.flickr.com/photos/22322135@N00/7919640078/in/photolist-d4Qe5A-cKt9oh-dtg9wG-cgpuob-dQwhsz/lightbox/?l=cc&q=trello