To-do lists on steroids

Trello is a new online tool worth a trial. Basically it’s a a simple to-do list on steroids, and almost as easy as using sticky-notes.  For those who use JIRA, it’s JIRA-ish, but without jargon. No time to waste? Good news, installation is unnecessary.  And, yes, the interface works well on your iPhone or Android phone as well.

The big board

Drag and drop cards from column to column, or treat the draggable columns as lists unto themselves. Add comments, add people, or add files to any card.

Trello screenshot: c.saetre

Features we like.

Beyond the simplicity and all the features a tool like this is expected to have, these features standout:

1. Voting is easy so  you can use this tool for much more.
2. The checklist function on each task card is awesome.

   I might add these, for example:

-  “tested in all the browsers we use and like”.
-  “tested in Internet Explorer”
-  “tested in IE’s irritating Compatibility Mode”.
-  “review completed”

No jargon you say?

Don’t know what JIRA is, and SCRUM is also a mystery?  No worries. You won’t find epic, user story, story point, and almost everything about this tool i easy to understand.

The tool is Kanban Cards plain and simple, but you don’t need to know that to use this tool for:

• party planning
• grocery shopping
• complex To Do lists
• collaboration
• user involvement in feature prioritization

As far as using this for Scrum — estimation and time tracking is missing — but if your team already fairly accurate with estimation, it  isn’t absolutely necessary to complicate the task flow with time tracking.

Hey, what’s with all the JIRA comparisons?

Don’t get me wrong, I like JIRA. JIRA is powerful, and feature rich. The JIRA comparisons arise because JIRA is what our team uses. The time tracking and estimation features are very necessary, and the dynamic charting and plugin options make it invaluable to our team.

But JIRA isn’t for everyone: really using it well requires a bit of dedication and curiosity… making  JIRA perfect for geeks, who love that in a tool.

Of course, old school post-its also work.

«Minding the gap: Bugs first, IE bugs first of all. » by c.saetre