[Design] task list feature

[Mimi Yin]

Hello Edward,

Thank you for writing up these suggestions. I think we're in complete  
agreement that tasks are important. Really, you can think of OSAF's 3  
projects: the Desktop client, Web app and Server as 3 complementary  
parts of a single collaborative-task-management system for small  
groups where calendaring plays a supporting role, albeit a crucial  
supporting role.

In that sense, most of the design work that's been done on Chandler  
has been in the realm of information processing and task management.  
Some of this design work has been realized, but the bulk of it is  
being spec'd out for 0.7.

If you haven't already, it might be worth taking a quick look at  
this: http://chandler.osafoundation.org/philosophy.php

It will give you a high level overview of how we're approaching the  
challenge of building an effective and useful task management tool  
for small groups.

For a more detailed view of how task management usage scenarios will  
be supported, you can check out the recently written Dashboard spec:  
http://svn.osafoundation.org/docs/trunk/docs/specs/rel0_7/ 
Dashboard-0.7.html

The Dashboard is short-hand for our centralized information  
processing and task management view. Key design concepts informing  
the design of the Dashboard are: Triage, iterative information  
processing, keeping runway versus project views in sync, Stamping.

For more background, see:
+ http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Projects/TriageDesign
+ http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Jungle/NaturalWorkflowDesign
+ http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Jungle/ 
OutlookOrganizingAffordances
+ http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Projects/OrganizeDesign

I think your specific suggestion for creating a new task when hitting  
the return key is a great idea. It would most probably fall under the  
keyboard support section of the spec, which will most likely be  
fleshed out in more detail in a separate keyboard interaction spec.

In the meantime, please feel free to log it as a feature enhancement  
in our bug-tracking system: https://bugzilla.osafoundation.org/ 
enter_bug.cgi

Thx!

Mimi

On Jun 10, 2006, at 5:34 PM, edward porter wrote:

> Hello, I wanted to make a small design request (and then a much  
> larger one).  When creating tasks would it be possible to create a  
> new task simply by hitting return? Currently, you create a new task  
> by hitting the "new" button on the menu or 'apple n'. If you do  
> press return nothing happens. Hitting return would be very natural.  
> Just like using a word processing app. It's easy to sit down at  
> your computer with a long list a things you need to do. Hitting  
> return rather than a button on the menu when make it much easier to  
> enter all those items.
>
> This is something I've noticed lacking across the board in calendar  
> programs actually. And on that note, in general, I usually find the  
> task or 'to-do list' management feature of calendar programs  
> lacking. This could be a great thing to develop to make chandler  
> different. Everyone manages their to-do list differently, but the  
> bottom line is managing or organizing it is very useful. Whether  
> it's by priority or subject ('errands', 'financial matters', etc..)  
> or time to complete the task, or all of the above, it's very useful  
> to have multiple ways to arrange, categorize, and subcategorize  
> your to-do lists. Like a calendar, it helps you to visualize what  
> all you need to do. Having such a organized to-do list tightly  
> integrated with your calendar just seems natural. That way you can  
> easily play with the best schedule to accomplish all your  
> categorized to-do/task items.
>
>
> thank you for your time and consideration,
>
> -Edward Porter
>
>
>
>
> edward porter
> edward at deborahjaffe.com
>
>
>
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