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Ken Thomas

Posted Apr 27, 2017 in: New Section: Lists
Score: 1
If I may, I'd like to add a few things / suggestions that I'd love to see happen in the TASK module sometime(ish) - like you guys don't have anything much to do already. It's possibly worth a shot, (fingers crossed!);

1. In the case of a task and its sub-tasks, would it be possible to have an option to make the parent task stylised or highlighted to make it stand out so it is easier to see a parent task on a page where everything looks similar?

2. Would it be possible to add and modify Tags in a similar way that Contexts are? What might be even better would be to add and modify Tags just like Folders are. This would be a big help.

3. Would it be possible to include Folders in the Filter Options feature. I know that Contexts and Tags are already included in this feature, but having Folders there too would be a huge help in fine tuning a customised filter.

4. This is a bit of a more advanced request, but I think it would help wonders. In relation to the Length field would it be possible to have the following features included;

a. Auto calculate the Length value of a task when a Start Date/Time value and Due Date/Time value are entered.
b. Auto calculate the Start Date/Time of a task when a Length value and Due Date/Time value are entered.
c. Auto calculate the Due Date/Time of a task when a Length value and Start Date/Time value are entered.


In relation to the point #4, if all three values (Length, Start Date/Time and Due Date/Time) for a task are already populated, then there will need to be an option in the settings page to lock one of the values so any change in value of the other two will cause a change in the third value (if that makes sense).

5. In the case of a task and its sub-tasks, would it be possible to auto calculate the Length value of a parent task by adding up all of the child task Length values?

6. In the case of a task and its sub-tasks, would it be possible to auto populate the Start Date/Time and Due Date/Time of the parent task to match the earliest Start Date/Time and the latest Due Date/Time of the child tasks group / population?

7. In the case of a task and its sub-tasks, if a parent task has a particular Repeat setting, would it be possible to automatically make all of its child tasks match the Repeat setting of its parent so none of the child tasks won't disappear for good once they've been completed?

8. On a final request... would it be possible to make the left hand side column a tad wider? Could you at least make this on option in the settings page - to make the left hand column wider? A little more room for longer descriptions would be a big help.

Cheers!

(Love Toodledo!)


This message was edited Apr 28, 2017.
Ken Thomas

Posted Mar 17, 2015 in: Toodledo Redesign Plans
Score: 0
With regard to the redesign of Toodledo, one of the better (and more feature rich) apps that is similar to Toodledo that might be worth having a look at is Smartsheet.
Ken Thomas

Posted Feb 08, 2015 in: Toodledo Redesign Plans
Score: 0
I agree!

Instead of having the discrete silos (Tasks / Notes / Outlines / Lists / Habits) in their separate tabs along the top of the webpage not being integrated, you could possibly have the following integrated tabs (Tasks / Projects / Ideas / Goals) instead!

I think Toodledo currently has the basic features needed to make this work. I have no doubt there’s a bit of work integrating the current features that Toodledo has and there is the need to have a better user interface and website navigation for each of the suggested tabs – but wouldn’t it be something if Toodledo could pull it off!

Having Tasks / Projects / Ideas / Goals as the four main tabs / pillars on which organise your life would be far better way to do things.
Ken Thomas

Posted Feb 04, 2015 in: Toodledo Redesign Plans
Score: 2
Idea for Toodledo

Here’s an idea that might be of some use… (just throwing something I quite like the sound of out there for others to think about and of course comment on :))

Toodledo is predominantly a To-Do / Task Management application based on the GTD type philosophy with the addition on a few other minor functions included such as Lists, Outlines, Notes, Habits to aid in the process. What if Toodledo developed itself into a one stop shop for all your personal organisation needs by developing the application into four major sectors that include the following;

1. Task Management – for all your personal tasks and reminders (predominantly use Tasks for this).

2. Project Management – for all your personal projects big and small (predominantly use Tasks / Outlines for this. Need a good graphical user interface for this to work properly i.e. Gantt Chart).

3. Ideas Management – for all your personal ideas for organising a brainstorming session (predominantly use Notes, Lists, Outlines for this. Also, needs a good graphical user interface for this too to work properly i.e. Sticky Notes / EverNote type interface).

4. Goal Management – for all your personal goals and ambitions (predominantly use Tasks, Notes, Habits for this). Goal Management could also tie in data from the Task Management and Project Management sectors.

Imagine if you could have this type of functionality all tied together! That would be one powerful GTD based application!!
Ken Thomas

Posted Jan 27, 2015 in: Toodledo Redesign Plans
Score: 0
Yes! I'll also vote for what Scott has noted above.

This raises a serious question... can Toodledo be a basic Project Management program / application as well as being a Personal Task Management program / application??

Now that would be something!
Ken Thomas

Posted Jan 22, 2015 in: Toodledo Redesign Plans
Score: 7
Hi Bridget.

I’ve read your requests detailing how you’d like Toodledo users to help you design a better Toodledo. With that in mind, I’ve initially noted the following to give you a brief picture of who I am and how I use Toodledo before detailing some things I think can help you design a better product.

Cheers!

About me:
• I’m a 40 year old professional in the construction industry.
• I’m currently a quantity surveyor / estimator who also worked as a project manager on construction sites.
• I love to keep things organised – especially my time and the tasks that I need to get done.

About what I do:
• Professionally I work on a number of projects that span over periods (on average) of 4 to 10 months.
• Personally I’m a father of 3 young children with a full-time job and an average mortgage for the family home.
• Privately I have a number of hobbies, a small drafting business, and a sizable list of small projects that need to be done.

How I use Toodledo:

• I use it primarily for personal use to keep all of my thoughts / dates / deadlines / goals written down and organised. Not all of them are organised (have a date noted against it), but recorded so I can often come back to remind myself what I’d like to do and plan on when I can do them in the future.

• I mainly use it for recording and tracking tasks. I also occasionally use ‘Lists’ for simple things such as;
o Movies I’d like to see
o Car maintenance checklist
o Personal wish list
o Itemised list of PC parts for next upgrade

• I also use Outlines for the more complicated tasks that need more information and structure like an Action plan for set goals. The reason why I use it for this is because I really don’t like to use Toodledo’s ‘Add Sub-Task’ feature.

• It is used equally in all aspects of my life. My folders are grouped in two main categories;
o Main Category related to ‘People’ : Personal / Family / Friends / Home / Work / General
o Sub-Category relates to ‘Projects’ : Home Renovation / Home Computer Network / Garden Renovation / Music Collection

• I often use the following views and switch between the regularly with the following sort order (Importance / Date Due / Priority);

o Main (Hotlist) : provides me a quick view of the most important tasks that are due as calculated by Toodledo.

o Main (Starred) : provides me a quick summary of the tasks that I want to get done ASAP. These tasks are often short duration and due within the next day or two.

o Calendar : Similar to Hotlist view but gives me the option to pick specific dates or a week when things are due.

o Folder : provides me a quick view of all the tasks associated with that one specific category only.

Often used to not only see what tasks I have coming up, but also a list of tasks that I’d entered previously that are important to me as a reminder of things I’d like to get done sometime in the future. Kind of keeps me focused on potential projects for goals I’ve set for myself in the past.

• I use Notes, but not that often. When I do I use it for writing detailed / running thoughts relating to personal goals and to jot down ideas which I can then flesh out in OneNote.

Toodledo (The Good):

• Functionality. Being able to enter a large amount of personal data (tasks) and have it organised for you.

• Customisation. Being able to have that data presented in a way that you prefer to have it displayed.

Toodledo (The Bad):

• Sub-Tasks. Toodledo is mainly a task management service and the way in which sub-tasks are used, displayed, moved about, only go one level is really quite poor. If there was really one thing in terms of developing further functionality wise, it would be to work on all things relating to Toodledo’s sub-task feature.

Toodledo (The Ugly):

• The user interface. It’s been said ad nausem throughout the forums and I don’t need to really add anything further

Personal Suggestions (and why):

• If there’s one thing Toodledo MUST do is get a better / easier to use interface that looks the goods. If Toodledo wants to get more people coming over and paying for the service, it MUST design a gorgeous interface that people will love to use! Functionally, Toodledo has it over the competition in personal task management. To get the masses flocking to use it, MUST, MUST, MUST have a beautiful user interface that is easy to use and navigate. Forget better functionality for the moment, throw everything into the interface! Please! Reviewers will love it and write about it. A beautiful user interface - that’s where the money is.

• A Gantt chart. A beautifully design Gantt chart or something like it will kill two birds with one stone. It will take all of the current info people put into Toodledo (which is plain and boring) and turn it into something graphical that is easy to understand and use. It will instantly make Toodledo look great and increase functionality at the same time. It will also just slam the competition further into the ground. If done right, Toodledo will have the personal task / goal management market by the throat!

• Include a column to record progress on a task and sub-tasks. Have a column that you can change as you progress through a task or sub-task i.e. drop down list of percentages e.g. 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and so on.

• Have the Due Date colour coded. Green for more than a week before a task is due. Orange if it’s within a week of being due. Red if it’s due in a day or two. Red and flashing / pulsing if it is overdue. Something like that. Colour is an easy way to indicate quickly to the user if something is urgent or not.

• Ability to customise the ‘Status’ column so people can use their own terms to indicate what the status is of a task is.

That’s all I have for the moment. I hope I haven’t taken up too much space. More importantly, I hope that the above is somewhat useful.


This message was edited Jan 22, 2015.
Ken Thomas

Posted Jun 13, 2014 in: Toodledo 2013 - The Year in Review
Score: 1
Just to continue on with my previous comments, I've found a telling review of Toodledo being compared to its competition

http://www.technorms.com/33564/wunderlist-vs-any-do-vs-toodledo-vs-gqueues

Have a read. Toodledo is noted as being 'Old School but Solid'. The others (Wunderlist and Any.do) are noted as being "As Slick as they Come" and "Beautiful and Functional" AND were noted as first and second choice of the four apps in the review.
Ken Thomas

Posted Jun 12, 2014 in: Toodledo 2013 - The Year in Review
Score: 1
I personally think that Toodledo is an exceptionally powerful piece of personal task management software and I love using it.

However, I noticed that when I was searching for the 'perfect' to-do / task management app on the web, all I saw was the glowing reviews of apps like Wunderlist and Todoist etc. I've tried these and in my opinion, these pale in comparison with Toodledo's features and functionality, BUT they have a beautiful interface and are simple / easy to use and here's my gripe - these apps sell primarily because they are beautiful and simplistic looking. PRESENTATION (it's always the way) SELLS!! Toodledo is head and shoulders above the rest of the competition in terms of what it can do and provide, but the others are getting all the air time and I feel that Toodledo is getting lost in the mix.

I think it's time Toodledo do something about their interface or the inferior lot who seem to be getting more than their fair share and punching far above their weight will continue to get the press. For example, has Toodledo recently featured in a glowing review from the likes of LifeHacker et al? LifeHacker did another recent poll on the Five Best To-Do List Managers and the apps that came out on top were; Google Keep, Any.do, Wunderlist, Todoist, HabitRPG. The most recent review I found was from Blinklist and it wasn't all that flattering. Basically Toodledo was reviewed as being stuck in the middle ground of being a too powerful task management app while being too weak in the project management app. And the reviewer is right in my opinion, but that's another matter.

The point I'm trying to make is the simplistic / cluttered / complicated / complex interface is giving Toodledo no favours regarding what it can do. I believe it needs to move into the Apple type era of software for the masses and bring good design to a good product.

Just my $0.02 people.

Love the app!


This message was edited Jun 12, 2014.