Trello There!
The challenge
Trello is a flexible management tool that helps users visualize and organize their workflow. Our team was tasked with researching, conceptualizing, and prototyping a new feature that would enhance developers' experience of the tool.
the approach
To gain an understanding of developers' needs, we began with a cognitive walkthrough of the site to gage how intuitive and communicative it was. We then dove into a contextual analysis of how developers currently work with Trello.
background
Trello debuted in 2011 and quickly gained traction as a unique project management tool. With millions or users to date, Trello is used by everyone from business owners to couples planning their wedding and families planning their vacation.
insights
Embedding ourselves in three different work settings, we learned through our contextual analysis how developers use (or don't use) Trello and how they supplement it with other tools.
One thing that was consistent was that these users relied on Slack for communication and collaboration much more than Trello. As a result, Trello has consulted infrequently.
One developer remarked "I find Trello more useful for solo projects."
While Trello does have a Slack power-up, none of the developers we spoke with used it.
One developer, Jenna, used a competitor (Asana) in addition to Trello. She preferred the visibility of Asana and how it handled notifications.
Design innovation
While Trello allows users to assign due dates to items, it doesn't have a good mechanism for prompting tasks that are in progress. Our solution to this problem was to create a "Haunt" feature.
By selecting "Haunt," users can set intervals at which they get reminded of a particular item on their Trello board. The notification materializes as a large pop-up window that allows users' to either open the card or shoo the ghost away.
As an added bonus, users can choose to haunt tagged teammates, so that their prompts are systematized and depersonalized.
In keeping with Trello's style ethic, "Haunt" is direct, personal and (we hope) fun. Woooooooooo....
