Trello: what is it and how to use it

Trello is a well-known program that can be used for personal and business purposes. With its help, you better manage your projects, goals, and implementation.

At first glance, we have a very simple application, but this simplicity is deceptive. The developers have integrated many useful features that appeal to those who have a lot to do or are involved in a collective project.

Description of the Trello program

The service is designed for teamwork in the cloud. It is based on the kanban principle, which allows you to divide large-scale projects into separate stages and manage their implementation.

Working in Trello can be described as a step-by-step progression from setting a task to its implementation. The card alternately falls into one of the lists:

• To Do (To Do).
• In work (Doing).
• Done.

The first includes planned projects, the second – is ongoing, and the third – is completed.

Each of them has access to several specialists. Different people can work on the solution to the problem simultaneously, which speeds up the process.

The principle of kanban, the basis of Trello, has been tested many times in various fields and is optimal for various projects in which a group of performers is involved.

Who is Trello for?

• Small businesses that need step-by-step workflow solutions

The service will help to build a sequence of individual stages, determine their priority and control the implementation. Each client can be represented as a card that reflects contacts, orders, history of interaction with him, and current status (planned, in progress, ready for delivery).

• Freelancers who independently organize activities for the implementation of projects. Trello allows you to keep all tasks in front of your eyes and meet deadlines and a given sequence.

For large companies whose activities are related to the simultaneous solution of a large number of tasks of varying degrees of complexity, there are more suitable options than Trello. Large corporations require specially designed tools based on the kanban methodology.

Advantages and disadvantages of Trello

The functions implemented in the program allow you to satisfy almost all the needs that arise during teamwork. Trello benefits include:

• Convenient interface.
• The ability to start using the application without lengthy preparation.
• Multilingual.
• Access to most of the features in the free version of the program.
• Compliance with the requirements of the international standard for information security.
• Combination with other commonly used services (for transferring money, exchanging emails, and planning current activities).
• Availability of full versions for Windows and MacOS.

As disadvantages can be noted:

• Visual congestion of the interface with a large number of cards.
• Lack of integration with messengers.
• Inability to leave comments on projects.
• A limited number of connected third-party services on the basic tariff.
• Inability to create graphs and charts.
• Not a very convenient text format using special characters.

If you need to use a dozen different messengers or hundreds of integrations simultaneously, it won’t be easy to implement a program to implement work tasks. In such cases, you will need other tools designed for large-scale projects.

Ten tasks that Trello allows you to solve

• Personal planning

The service is convenient for creating a list of personal or business affairs for any period: day, week, month, or year. For this, ready-made templates are used, which can be adapted to your needs.

• Distribution of tasks by types

Current cases are placed in different columns (personal, family, work, etc.). For each, you can set due dates and mark the priority in one color or another.

• Content plan

Trello often creates a weekly, monthly, or yearly posting plan. Columns are given names depending on the stage of work on the text. For example, “Articles in the queue,” “In the work of the author,” “At the editor,” “Correction of editor’s comments, ” “Proofreading,” “Published,” and so on. Content is marked with a different color depending on the type of material.

• Event Planning

The Trello workspace is ideal for dividing tasks between multiple people and monitoring their project progress. The manager creates a board, assigns responsibility for each stage, and sets a deadline for its completion.

• bug tracker

To organize work on fixing detected bugs, the columns “Incoming,” “Non-urgent,” “Urgent,” “In progress,” “Blocking bugs,” “Testing,” and “Done” is used.

Cards are managed by moving them from one column to another by technical support, and employees who need information about fixing bugs track the process.

• Recruitment

The manager places cards with vacancies and a list of requirements for applicants on the board. The HR manager sets the status, for example, “Search,” “Consideration,” “Interview,” and “Vacancy closed.”

• Tracking issues in business processes

The board in a Trello program can monitor the difficulties that arise during work. Team members enter into it the problems that they encountered in solving problems. After the decision, the card moves to the appropriate column.

• CRM-system analog

Small companies’ sales departments use the service to collect information about customers. Upon completion of the next stage of the transaction, the card moves through the columns.

• Introduction to new employees

Trello can be used to educate newly hired employees about work schedules, job descriptions, and job responsibilities. Corresponding columns are created on the board, along which the cards move as the stage is implemented.

• Strategic planning

Simultaneous work on a long-term plan for the company’s development with the participation of top managers, founders, and investors can be organized on the Trello board. Everyone leaves suggestions and comments at a convenient time for him, which eliminates the need to hold offline meetings.

Basic Trello Tools

Work in the service is organized using four basic elements.

Command

Each project participant is granted a certain set of rights. For example, he can move the card between columns or leave comments. Discussing current problems on the board is convenient under a specific task. Important information will be visible to all team members; it will not have to be searched among hundreds of messages in work chats.

Board

Each project has its board, the content of which depends on the characteristics of the organized activities. The leader determines the number of columns, their names, order of placement, and color labels. Trello is an application that is ideal for implementing projects of any type, as it provides the ability to customize the work in the most convenient way for all team members.

Lists

As tasks progress, they move from one column to another. As a rule, we are talking about the main stages such as “Planned,” “In progress,” and “Done.”

The number of lists is determined by the organizer of the work, depending on the project’s specifics. There can be 5, 10, or 20 of them. Each task can be divided into many small ones, allowing you to monitor the quality of its implementation carefully.

Cards

This is the main element of the system, which is a pop-up window with a set of settings and various data. The card can include a task description, its due date, files with important information, a checklist, comments from performers, and much more.

The card title most often contains the task, and the description indicates the scope and essence of the work.

How to sign up for Trello

On the application’s main page, you must enter an email address.

Signing up for Trello requires an Atlassian account. The convenience lies in the fact that you do not need to create separate accounts for different services. The account allows you to easily access any Atlassian products, such as Jira, Bitbucket, Trello, Opsgenie, Statuspage, etc.

By creating an account with Atlassian, you can work in Trello and other services that support this account.

How to Use Trello: Create a Board and Card

• You will see a prompt to create a board on the screen. To do this, select a background and specify its name. The board has been created.

Access to it can vary, depending on the rights granted to a particular employee. Boards are divided according to the visibility into several types:

• Private. They can be viewed and modified by those who have access.
• Command. In such boards, people are included in the list of performers’ work. They are given the right to correct cards, lists, and the board.
• Organization board. Paid version with an extended set of features and tools.
• Public. Everyone can view it, but only those with the appropriate access can make changes.

To customize your board, tap Menu in the top right corner.

• To create a list, select “add” and specify the name of this column. It can be a direction of activity, a stage of solving a problem, or something else.
• To add a card, enter its name and go to settings. Using the functions offered by the application, based on a ready-made template, we give the card the desired look.
• The structure of each card involves giving it a name, adding a description, and indicating an action. Only the cover with the title will be visible on the board; other information is available after opening the card.

What elements can you add to a card to customize it to your needs?

• Tags

Designed to highlight the card among others and designate its role. The label’s name is selected depending on the characteristic that combines several cards into a group.

• Checklist

This is a list of things to do. For example, here, you can include small tasks and the solution necessary to complete a stage of work. What has already been done remains on the list but is crossed out. The checklist clearly shows how much has already been completed and how much work remains.

• Timing

The information about the date by which the stage must be completed is necessary for Trello to remind you when the deadline for solving the task has expired. The color of the time marker changes as the deadline approaches. By adding a calendar to the board, you expand its functionality.

For this:

• Click on the “Menu” button in the upper right corner of the board.
• In the menu that opens, find the “Improvements” section.
• In this section, enter in the search the word “calendar” in the language of your version of the application.
• Select the “Calendar” card and click “Add.”

When you create a card with due dates, it will be added to the calendar, and when you click on it, you will see tasks with distribution by date.

• Investments

The value of this feature for those who use many files in their work is obvious. Attached to the card are images, texts, diagrams, and other sources of information you need to complete the work. Files are dragged onto the card from your computer or phone folder.

The picture placed in the attachment automatically becomes the cover of the card. If you do not need it, cancel adding the cover in the settings.

The appearance of the cards can be changed as you wish; for example, they are highlighted in color to indicate the presence of important information or to decorate your board. The cover size is also adjusted based on your needs.

• Templates

You don’t have to figure out how to place the columns and give them names; you can choose the appropriate whiteboard template from the huge number offered by the program. Click “Add template”; if necessary, the selected board option is adjusted to your needs; for example, column names are specified.

How to delete a board in Trello

To close the board, do the following:

• In the menu on the right, select the “More” item and get access to additional features.
• In the “Close board …” section, click on the “Close” button, thereby confirming your intention.
• After closing, delete it by clicking on the link “Permanently deleting the board …”.
• A pop-up notification will warn you that the action cannot be undone. Clicking on the “Delete” button will permanently erase the board, and you can no longer restore it.

Trello is an application that will help establish joint activities of several specialists, simplify the control of problem-solving, and make the process of step-by-step work visualization. The benefits of the service will be appreciated by small teams and freelancers, as well as individual divisions of large companies.