Visualization in Project Planning

Bob Moll, Tuesday, July 25, 2006 @ 10:32 am

Visualization is a powerful tool when trying to take a large amount of data and communicate it in a form that is more immediately digestible. We’ve been experimenting with applying visualization to project planning.

Traditional project plans face two challenges. First, the typical list of tasks or Gant chart can be a confusing communication vehicle. Usually such artifacts are printed in microscopic fonts on a relatively small sheet of paper and it’s hard to see the forest among the trees. The second challenge of traditional project plans is they don’t really build a cognizance among team members of what the other team members are doing. In the end, the project has to succeed as a whole, so it’s crucial that team members work well together.

One method of visualizing the project plan is to create a visual timeline. The timeline shows thumbnail sketches of deliverables and environments used to create the deliverables. Example environments could include a location for user research or a meeting room for a brainstorming session. Participants can be represented by simple stick figures. Depicting a plan in this fashion can enable a lucid walk through and vetting with team members.

Another way of visualizing the project plan is to use a storyboard technique. Each panel shows an element of action, a deliverable or a progress measure. When panels are juxtaposed, the entire story of the project plan can be told clearly and effectively.

Visualization of project plans does not demand a lot of artistic skill, just a new approach. Give these techniques a try if you are looking for a way to make your projects plans more communicative and get your team working more closely.

user experience design

Comments: 2 so far

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1. 

   Do you have any example or tool about Visualization?

   Comment by Anonymous, Wednesday, July 26, 2006 @ 12:21 am

2. 

   Maybe SIMILE Timeline can be used for this purpose.
   http://simile.mit.edu/timeline/

   Comment by niyue, Wednesday, July 26, 2006 @ 4:57 am

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