This is especially important for teams which may share tasks. For tasks, a hierarchy provides a systematic filing system. From paper files in a filing cabinet to the windows folder structure to companies and organizations, hierarchies are something we are accustomed to working with. Systematic and navigable task browsing.Task hierarchies are often the most natural way for us to break down complex projects into actionable tasks, whether that be Work Breakdown Structure, Gantt charts or even mindmaps. Natural way to break down complex projects.
#Nozbe subprojects manual
Given that entering tasks tends to be a manual process this additional time directly adds to the time required for managing the list. These long statements take time to write. If this were a flat list, we would have something like, “measure the quantities for the cement consistently for the house foundations”, “mix the cement for the house foundations”. So, not only is the context provided but also the task entry itself is the epitome of brevity. But, referring to the parent tasks immediately indicates that. For the actionable tasks – measure quantities, mix and pour, they mean nothing without the background or context. Each level of a nested task provides the background or context to the underlying tasks which means the task itself need not be described in detail. This is an often overlooked point but in my opinion, an important one.
Provides context and enables task brevity.Įach level of a nested task provides the background or context to the underlying tasks which means the task itself need not be described in detail.
#Nozbe subprojects how to
In the follow up article, I will show how to get the best of both worlds with a practical example. In this article I will cover the pros and cons of nested and flat task lists.
All of this got me to thinking about what advantages and disadvantages task nesting provides. Some people would prefer to have a task hierarchy or a greater degree of task nesting to allow for “filing”, tasks or breaking them down into smaller, more digestible chunks. Others such as Wunderlist and TickTick are similar. One cannot have sub projects, subtasks etc. So, you can have projects, task lists within those projects and checklists for each task. One of the Nozbe design decisions was to restrict the depth of the task nesting.
#Nozbe subprojects series
As indicated by the deceptively harmonious title, this is the first part of a three part series whereby I address the pros and cons of nested and flat task lists. Indeed, it confronts anyone compiling a task list or managing tasks in a business environment. Undoubtedly the former was more pleasurable but the latter resulted in me stumbling upon a highly contentious issue among productivity minded folk. This week I drank Rioja and reviewed Nozbe.