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Why Architects Need Trello

6/19/2018

 
Trello Project Management

Project Management for Architects

I like organization. Some of you would rather be attacked by fire ants. Here's a compromise that won't hurt much at all. 

I discovered Trello some time ago. I really got into it. I shared the post "You Probably Need Trello, Lucky It Is Free".

I was using Trello for everything.  And then ... Basecamp pulled me back into the fold. I really like Basecamp, both the app and the company that makes it. Basecamp is a great project management tool, and I used it a lot for architectural project management. So what changed? Recently I was kicking around the idea:
​How can architects manage everything with one app?


I was thinking about this because of my other project, MyCorbu. I noticed that more firms than I would have guessed were using ArchiOffice.  ArchiOffice does just about everything but BIM/CAD. The odd thing is that most of the users that I was aware of DID NOT love ArchiOffice.  This is my guess as to why they don't like it:  it is a very left-brained approach to management. ArchiOffice has decided for you how you should be organized. Your job is to learn the system.   Doesn't sound like most architects, does it? 

So I started looking for a better solution by thinking about how several products that I was familiar with might work.  I looked at Basecamp, AgileCRM, MailChimp, Trello, FileMaker, Evernote, and Podio.  Podio and FileMaker are so plain vanilla that getting them to do what you want will take a year or more ... and end up being ArchiOffice. Evernote requires a search to find anything, and it can't show you the big picture. AgileCRM is great at the business development stuff and might be able to capture lots of project stuff too through easy customization. That is going to take a lot of planning. (More fire ants!) 

So I am down to Trello and Basecamp. I looked them both over and came to two conclusions. 
First Conclusion
Architects need four systems: one for design, one for project management, one for business development and one for bookkeeping.*

Second Conclusion
Trello is the strongest candidate for architectural project management because: 
  • it is fundamentally visual in the way you organize your projects 
  • it can copy anything you enter so setting up templates is a breeze
  • it can make a checklist out of any list you have in one simple step
  • it has every feature that you might need and it is free for all your staff to use. (There are paid versions you might need in five years.)
Trello Project Management for Architects
So here is how I recommend implementing Trello.
Start with whatever you are doing now. Convert your methods into a series of 'Lists' containing 'Cards' describing the main steps (see next graphic). If you have ever tried using Post-It notes on a white board to organize anything, Trello will feel very similar. Move stuff around, add, delete. Get your overall process outlined. From there you take advantage of Trello's special sauce - the details that each Card can hold. So you start with the broad strokes and add detail over time.


Let me show you how I would use Trello.  By the way this is a public 'board' so you can view it in more detail by going to Trello Project Template.  You can get your free account here.

The graphic above is what your Trello dashboard looks like. Each item would represent a project, either a design project or an in-house non-design project. You can distinguish between 'private' and 'organization' projects. The top menu bar is visible consistently. Note the search box and the pull down list of Boards in the upper left. Simple and easy navigation.

 
Trello Project Management for Architects
 
For a project board (above) I would set up a list for each of the phases plus the project’s parameters. When you get your first project planned, copy it and customize it. The original is your template. The more you update the template, the easier the next project plan becomes. You might consider various templates for the different kinds of projects that you do.
 
Trello Project Management for Architects
 
When you click on a Card (above), you have access to several kinds of detail. 
  • Description
  • Checklists
  • Activity log
  • Due date
  • Attachments
  • Assignments
  • Printing
Trello Project Management for Architects
 
Checklists (above) are easy to set up. Click to create one, name it, type in the tasks. OR — take a list you already have, copy it, and add it with a click. Here I took our master Table Of Contents for Specs and added it with one click. Now that it is part of the project template, all that is left is to update which sections apply to this project. That is one of my favorite ways to look for omissions in the drawings -  review the specs TOC. You can put a copy here just for that purpose. You can convert Tasks in your checklists to Cards so you can add information to them. You can make assignments. Add comments for needed follow up on missing or incomplete content.

That is pretty much all you need to know to get started. It seems pretty easy and pretty intuitive. Best of all, the software visually shows the organization that you have set up for the project. When a List or Card is complete, archive it so that what remains represents what is left to do.

I think Trello helps you in two ways:
  1. Trello helps you make your process repeatable by others through use of templates.
  2. Trello helps you improve your firm by improving your processes, which in turn improves the value of your firm.

Give it a try. Trello by Fogcreek Software



Picture
Since this post was first published, I have completed Trello-PM, an e-book describing in detail how to use Trello™ for project management. See a Sample.

Trello-PM
Available Now - Learn More
* Nowadays I would choose VectorWorks Architect, Trello,
​MailChimp (combined with a blog), and MyCorbu respectively. 



###

Nicholas Oculus
2/9/2015 06:17:08 pm

4 systems seem like too much. There are free collaboration and management suites which allow both to manage a project and to share and exchange files. For example, there's Bitrix24 (also good for quotes and invoicing), Freedcamp and so on. Just google it.

Hallie Bowie link
2/11/2015 05:56:04 am

I am just trying out Trello at your suggestion. I can see the benefit of how you are using it, but I am currently most concerned with figuring out which project I need to be working on next in order to keep them all moving. It looks to me as though having a separate board for each project does not allow you to see the due dates associated with each in one view. By putting all of the projects in one board, and treating each project as a "list", I can see upcoming meeting dates and deadlines for multiple projects in one view. When I get to using a project checklist system, perhaps I will repeat each project as its own Board so I can use a template as you've suggested.

Kevin
5/8/2015 05:44:50 am

The single board approach is how I use Trello for Architecture. I added yellow lables for the top three things I want to do today. I also add comments to document phone calls, emails, decisions about cards.

Lastly, I have a "Waiting" list where I move cards that I'm waiting for other people to perform some work that is due before I can perform my next action on it.

Rick Wolnitzek
2/11/2015 01:02:22 pm

Hallie,
Take a look at this Trello help page. It shows you how to see all your due dates in one calendar using a free third party browser calendar called Sunrise Calendar.
http://help.trello.com/article/763-using-trello-with-sunrise-calendar
Trello and sunrise synch data and so changes in one changes the other.

Rick Wolnitzek
2/11/2015 01:23:39 pm

Nicholas,
Thanks for pointing me at those solutions. I had not investigated them.
I would like number of apps to be less, too, but I really think those four are the simplest solution for architects. We have some fussy requirements for timekeeping and invoicing. Project Management needs to be flexible. AgileCRM is amazingly easy and powerful and free for a small office. Then there is CAD/BIM. Bitrix24 and Feedcamp leave gaps in what I would need, so you end up creating your own 'add on' systems like re-formatting invoices in Word or Excel. So, I'm sticking with four for now.

Rick Wolnitzek
5/8/2015 05:50:37 am

Kevin,

Glad to hear Trello works for you. When you say you use a single board, does that mean you have a separate list for each project? Do you make use of the checklists?

Best,
Rick

Kevin Trout
9/12/2016 09:49:33 am

Rick,
Yes, I used a separate list for each project. Cards were topics/issues or simple to-do items. Checklists on the backs of cards are functional, but obscure information by hiding it from the main kanban board view.

Mark
9/16/2015 08:40:07 am

How would you rate this compared to Asana?
I work for a pretty large firm and would LOVE to see them implement this (or similar) instead of the daily barrage of emails back and forth with vendors, subs, etc. we're used to.

Rick Wolnitzek
9/24/2015 10:24:19 am

Mark,
I'm not familiar with Asana, but after a quick Google search, I learned a few things. First Asana has limitations on it's free account. Unlike Trello. Second Asana sees itself as a solution to email, "teamwork without email". That is good. So does Trello. The key difference seems to be Trello's visual orientation. For architects I think that is a big plus. I can easily imagine 'working' in Trello all day. Asana seems more like Basecamp where you coordinate a project and document what is going on but it doesn't really facilitate project planning. Trello does.
Hope that helps. Good luck.
Best,
Rick


Mark
9/24/2015 12:56:11 pm

Thanks a bunch for your feedback Rick! I've been looking at Trello for a couple of days and you're right about its visual appeal. It's an impressive interface as well as its smart phone functionality. I'd like to use it professionally and personally.
Like I mentioned previously, I work for a large international firm that has relied on outlook, excel, etc. (as many do) for project coordination between ourselves and the trades. It's like walking through knee high mud in sandles. It's feasible, but I wouldn't recommend it. Coordination disconnect, accountability, & time spent rummaging through email strings is staggering. Truly. So It's very disheartening when suggestions like trello to the "higher ups" and our IT dept fall on deaf ears for one reason or another.
Have any suggestions on how to bring Trello to the attention of these vets?

Rick Wolnitzek
9/24/2015 04:21:58 pm

Mark,

I feel your pain, but the largest group I managed was my own firm of 12 (at its largest).

My understanding is that a realistic approach is to just do it in your own group(s), and promote the benefits when you can.

Since Trello is free, and operates in any browser the cost to get started is zero. There is a way to send email to Trello projects so you won't be outside the system. To IT, "I'm just improving quality control on my projects with off-the-shelf tools." The Enterprise version gives IT all the control they might insist on.

Best,

Rick

Mark
9/24/2015 04:58:21 pm

*two thumbs up* Excellent suggestions Rick, thanks a lot sir.

Rick Wolnitzek
9/24/2015 08:00:55 pm

You are too kind.

Patrick
9/12/2016 07:23:42 am

Hi,
We're also looking for PM software for our architecture and engineering office (18 people). Time registration and budgetting will be done in another system.

Right now we use Glip for internal and client communication and wunderlist for to do's (small teams of 3). Glip is brilliant for communication, but the productivity tools are limited. For a better grasp on all decision levels we need to implement an integrated project management, task management and communication platform. Ease of use and a graphical UI is essential, we're architects, not IT-guys or project managers!

We've narrowed our choice to Trello, Meistertask and Basecamp 3.

I realise this article is a year old, but it's one of the rare more elaborate articles on PM in the architecture office.
And since you are familiar with both Trello and Basecamp: did you try out the basecamp 3? What would you advice for our needs?

Thanks a lot,
Patrick

Rick Wolnitzek link
9/12/2016 11:26:23 am

Patrick,

Thanks for visiting Architekwiki.

Basecamp 3 is a really nice tool, but it has a few limitations for architects. 1) It isn't as visual as I would like. 2) All projects have many tasks in common, but Basecamp doesn't support templates (yet). So every project is a hassle to set up. On the plus side, Basecamp 3 has really nice communications which encourages you to keep all project information together in one place.

I have never used Meistertask.

Trello's only downside is communications. They aren't as robust as Basecamp 3. Perhaps by adding the Slack integration they would be comparable.

There are several other posts about Trello on Architekwiki. Check out this link
http://www.architekwiki.com/apps/search?q=Trello-PM
I have an e-book called Trello-PM that explains how I would implement Trello.

Good luck with your project.

Rick

Patrick
9/13/2016 12:02:03 am

Hi Rick,

thanks for your feedback! As the API for BC3 was only released last month, I guess functionality will improve with new plugins, but we'll have to see.

Also, the BC website says:
Templates: Basecamp 3 doesn’t currently offer project or to-do templates, but we will be introducing these back into Basecamp 3 in 2016. We have an entirely new idea and design around templates for Basecamp 3 which will make them better than ever, but we didn’t get it into the initial release.

I'll study your Trello implementation further before making a decision, thanks for getting back and for your informative blog!

Patrick

Just link
10/14/2016 12:51:25 am

Trello or not to Trello? I just not to Trello. For me, Trello is not enough when it comes to the business. I prefer Kanbanery. It has more cool and useful features that helps me to manage my projects with ease.

Rick Wolnitzek link
10/14/2016 04:02:58 pm

I disagree. Kanbanery is expensive. I have never found a way to manage the 700+ tasks of the typical architectural project. And it is not as easy as Trello.

Beth
11/22/2016 09:57:52 am

Is there a way to print all my boards (including their info.) in Trello? I have set up a board for each job, but my boss wants a printable list. :/

Rick Wolnitzek link
11/23/2016 08:54:04 am

Beth,

There is a Print Export menu on each Board under MORE... in the pull out menu on right side. However, there isn't a good way to get satisfactory results. All the methods are hard to read and leave out the information in the Checklists. Even the Business Class plan that gives you CSV exports is like this.

If the idea is to print a copy for security reasons, I suggest researching how Trello handles backups and security. A printed copy would be enormous and changing constantly.

If the idea is sharing limited information with someone else, you could use screenshots. Or you could explore how to give them limited access.

Many things in this tech age are like Trello, e.g. you can't print your text message history.

Having said all this, your need may be different. If you try out the PRINT feature but save to PDF instead, you get a hybrid solution - a PDF with live links to the expanded CARDS, where everything is viewable.

Rick Wolnitzek link
11/23/2016 09:22:56 am

I forgot to point out that the real problem with printing out Trello Boards is that Trello is a relational database. The connections within the data can't be captured on paper. The connections are coded links.

christian gladu link
12/15/2016 02:20:57 pm

I agree that 4 systems is a lot but I do like the flexibility of Basecamp 2. We start all of our projects in Teamgantt which syncs with Basecamp 2 creating both a Gantt chart and a list of to dos in Basecamp 2. You can make adjustments either in Basecamp or Teamgantt and sync either way. If you assign staff members to tasks and milestones with time you can get a look at your overall project schedule across multiple projects. We use Google Doc to create text documents and spreadsheets and store them in Google Drive. All of our time tracking and invoicing is done with Harvest which syncs with basecamp and Quickbooks online. I publish all Bid,Permit,and Construction Documents with a Transmittal on Dropbox. I keep the clients out of Dropbox and only ask them to communicate thru basecamp. I have reduced 80% of my email to conversations within a project.We use archicad for 90% of our design projects and publish transmittals and client phase sign offs from Archicad so there is a always a copy with the drawing file of what has been issued. All of our zoning sheets are completed in Archicad with PDF copies in basecamp.My firm was Archioffice firm for over 5 years and it was the worst piece of software with the worst customer support I have ever seen. As a firm we are good at software and this was a relic of a piece of software. Even beyond the instability and poor syncing there was no connection to the client. I will deal with the occasional problems with multiple platforms as opposed to the dead weight of Archioffice. I do not know Trello but I am interested in checking it out.We are a small firm and finding an interconnected schedule piece was key to our app based approach.My staff will kill me if I bring on more app in. Before I quit this rambling I also use Morpholio for architectural sketches on an Ipad Pro with an I pad pencil and take all of my meeting notes by hand on my Ipad pro using notability and I pad pencil .Notability is on all of my devices and sync perfectly. I post meeting notes and sketches to basecamp on the fly.I love hearing how people are navigating all of this. Stay flexible so you can stay remote.

Rick Wolnitzek link
12/16/2016 06:51:16 am

Christian,
Thanks for sharing your work flow. I had never heard of TeamGantt. It looks very powerful. My experience with updating gantt charts for 'actual' is that it is too time consuming for the benefit. Perhaps TeamGantt solves that. The pricing structure for the combination of Basecamp 2 and TeamGantt is hard to accept when Trello is free and lends itself to more detailed project management without overwhelming you. And Trello easily handles templates. Without templates you spend way too much time planning projects.

I like the way you are using Notability for note-taking.

You would think that Archicad or AutoDesk would provide more of a solution for architects' project management for the money you spend with them over and over for the exact same thing. That would be one way to reduce the number of apps that you rely on.

Rick Wolnitzek link
12/16/2016 06:56:03 am

BTW regarding Harvest, do you send the invoices that Harvest produces or do you transcribe the info into another app?

Laurence
2/26/2019 08:49:23 pm

Thanks for all your insight gents. I'm a 17 year user of ArchiCAD and I've heard good reports about Trello, so methinks this time now without spending weeks & weeks on figuring out which software app I will use for PM I will go on my gut and the FREE incentive and roll with Trello. I also use EVERNOTE and OmniFocus. I wonder if Trello would make OmniFocus redundant for me 🤔
Cheers, Laurence ✏️

Rick Wolnitzek link
2/27/2019 06:30:01 am

Laurence,

I have never used OmniFocus. It seems much too complex.

Evernote has many useful features; I just wish it was easier to get files out.

Rick

Jaroslav Mares link
1/16/2017 02:40:09 am

Hello Rick, thank you for all the information about Trello! We modify and sell the projects of typified simple house. Strong part of our workflow is discussing with client with trackable history. So on one side we of course need space for organizing tasks, notes and links
across the entire team. But we need to keep this invisible for our clients. While on the other side, our team need to talk to the client, to post presentations and let him make notes and the final decisions - all in well organized and trackable way. Trello does not work with the visibility for "external" users, clients. Have you some suggestion to set a meaningful work flow? Thank you! Jaroslav

Rick Wolnitzek link
1/16/2017 05:28:10 am

Jaroslav,
I think you can do this with Trello by making your client a member of some boards but not others. The simplest way would be to have two project boards per project - one internal and one external. When your client is subscribed to the external board he will be able to interact with it. For convenience you could copy the cards containing your client's input back into your internal board.
With a Trello Business Account this might be simpler.
Rick

Jaroslav Mares
1/17/2017 10:02:05 am

Rick,
thank you for your suggestion and very fast reaction. I am going to try that.


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