[Design] Merlin's thoughts on how to maximize use of iCal

[Mimi Yin]

Thanks for the link Ted...

The workflows Merlin describes correspond pretty closely to how we  
imagine stamping, clusters and bi-directional linking will work in  
Chandler. Our purported advantage of course is that when you take the  
time to 'work the notes field', the data you enter (directions, phone  
numbers, tasks, attendees) will be stored in the system as individual  
items and the relationships you create between items (events and  
locations) will persist.

> Work the notes field
> I use the crap out of iCal’s various extra fields — esp. for  
> appointments.
>
> Phone calls - paste the number you need to call in the notes field,  
> so you have it right where you need it when you need it
++ [Linking] Link to Contact info from the Addressing fields of the  
item. Ideally you want to be able to specify what metadata appears in  
the addressing fields. (eg. Contact name, Contact name + Email  
address, Contact name + Phone number, Contact name + Title, etc).

> Meeting and call agendas - When you set an appointment, paste in  
> the contents of the email where the meeting’s raison d’être was  
> laid out. Or just type in 3-5 quick bullets on what you’ll need to  
> cover. You’ll thank yourself when the notification pops up three  
> months from now and you’re thinking “Status meeting about  
> what?!?!”
++ [Stamping] Stamp the original email invite/agenda itself and add  
it to the Calendar as the meeting event item.

> “Homework” assignments - When I send coaching clients an iCal  
> invite for a call or appointment, I use the notes field to remind  
> them what they’ll need to prepare, read, or bring along before we  
> meet. Easier and much more convenient than a separate email.
++ [Clusters] Create sub-tasks in the notes field of any item.

> Attendees - Definitely use the “Attendees” field even if you  
> don’t send an invitation. As we’ll see below, the print-out of  
> your calendar can be set to include the phone numbers of everyone  
> involved. Super useful when you’re stuck on the train and want to  
> let ‘em know you’ll be ten minutes late.
++ [Stamping] If you stamp the original email invite to add it to  
your calendar as an event, you will already have all of the people on  
the email invite in the addressing fields of the event item.

> Address & Directions - I always drop in the address of the offsite  
> location and usually include a link to the Google map for the  
> location (invited attendees love this). When you get the morning  
> alarm for an afternoon meeting, print out the map and drop it in  
> your bag (or, be really cool: print it out the day you schedule the  
> meeting, and put it in your tickler file)
++ [Linking]  Link to location items with directions in the Location  
field. Ideally, you want to be able to specify what metadata appears  
in the Location field. (e.g. Just the name of the location or name +  
address or driving directions too).

> From/To times - Yes this is a weird suggestion, and I’ll own that.  
> My friend Dennis taught me to make appointments at “odd times.”  
> Think about it: if you tell someone “I’ll pick you up at 7:08″  
> they’re much more likely to see it as a time certain rather than  
> the squishy quarter-hour SWAGs by which most of us schedule our world.
++ No solution here. I guess we could snap to odd times instead of  
the start of the hour ;o)

On Jul 5, 2006, at 1:25 PM, Ted Leung wrote:

> <http://www.43folders.com/2006/06/29/ical-tips/>
>
> Food for thought - lot's of these are workarounds for data not  
> being integrated.
>
> Ted
> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
>
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> http://lists.osafoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/design

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