Why Airtable is my go-to lifesaving project management tool
First things first, you may be wondering “Airtable? I’ve never heard of it?” and believe me, you’re not the only one thinking this. I became familiar with Airtable when I first started my business back in 2018 and had the same question. It was referred to me by a friend and she described it as “a prettier version of Excel.” At the time, I didn’t think this kind of tool could beat something more robust like Asana or Basecamp, but after lots of trial and error, I’ve always come back to the basic functionality of Airtable.
The overarching reasons why:
I’m able to build my project tracker exactly how I need it. I’m not trapped into the functionality that the tool sets for me, like Asana.
The main functionality that I liked from Asana I can still do in Airtable.
I’m able to see all of my project tasks for every client on one screen as well as add my own personal tasks as needed.
That’s it. Nothing crazy, but I’m a big believer in figuring out what works for you and your process rather than settling for a tool that’s 90% good.
So here’s how I use my Airtable to help streamline my entire client workflow:
Upload a project timeline via CSV to list out all of the tasks I need to complete for that project.
Project timelines have been a lifesaver themselves, especially when they’re created automatically with Google Sheets, but instead of manually uploading all the dates into my calendar, I’m able to upload the CSV file into my project tracker with an extension that Airtable provides.
View all of my project tasks either by list or by calendar view
This one helps me with organizing my workload for the week! It’s always helpful to see where I’m at in each project, which is what I do when I’m in the list view. Turning my project tracker into calendar mode allows me to see everything that’s due in a specific week, this way I can prioritize tasks accordingly. This also helps when I’m creating a new project timeline— I turn my project tracker view into calendar mode so I can make sure I’m not overloading myself with work or making big deliverables due too close together.
Have a digital to-do list on top of project tasks
My tracker is organized by project name, which is helpful when I want to know where I’m at with each client project. But at the beginning of each week, I like to sift through all my projects and add a personal “to-do” list at the top of my tracker to understand everything I need to get done that week. This can include anything from big deliverables to something as tiny as replying to an email. These tasks also have a column to check/uncheck the task, which tends to be the most satisfying part of a to-do list. It also has a date column so I can set due dates for each task/change as needed.
Adding team members to tasks and automating updates
Working with contractors can feel like you're flying by the seat of your pants— a new project comes along and you’re reaching out hoping that everything works out with their timeline and yours. When I create my project timelines, I add tasks such as “brand messaging due” and add my copywriter’s email. Or “create final files” and add my assistant. When I upload this timeline into Airtable, it automatically alerts both of these team members that they’ve been added to a new task. From there, they are able to let me know if the due date works for them. If not, I can change it accordingly. This takes a lot off my plate, since remembering to reach out to a contractor was a struggle for me!
Updating the phase that the project is in
Being such a visual person, I like the fact that I’m able to change the view to Kan Ban mode and manually drag and drop a project into a new phase as we move through the creative process. If you have a project manager, this would also be a great way to start the week— going over each project, where they’re at, and what needs to get done.
Sending updated timelines to clients if things change
While I stress the importance of having a defined timeline at the beginning of the project, I still understand that things happen. Sicknesses, unexpected life events, etc. At the end of the day, I’m still a human and want to be able to be flexible with my clients so they never feel stressed with the process. In the case that I need to update the dates of a project timeline, I’m able to do so in Airtable. I can then send these new dates to my client via email. It shows up in a table format so they can follow along or print out as needed. If a project goes off the rails, you could even send “weekly timeline updates” showing what’s checked off and what’s left in order to complete the project so you’re doing your due diligence to stay on top of your client.
Tracking the time for each task
This isn’t something I use very often, but it does help with estimating how long a task will take vs. how long it actually takes to make sure I’m understanding the ins and outs of my creative process. Each task has the ability to be timed, which can be helpful if you’re working with a contractor or you’re time blocking your work schedule.
On top of managing my client workload, Airtable helps me manage internal work as well. I created a separate tracker in my Viola Hill Studio base for my On Board With Ease course to help me organize all my content. I used it to:
Organize my course content via Kan Ban mode— each board signified the module and the tasks underneath it signified the videos/lessons that module contained. In those tasks I wrote out my script so everything was easy to visualize and understand.
I created a Calendar view to help with content promotion. I was able to create tasks for certain dates on the calendar that represented an Instagram post, an email, or Instagram story ideas. This helped me batch my content so I felt prepared every week. I could also attach any images I needed for each task.
Create a form for feedback. This is a cool extension that Airtable has, which was super helpful for gathering student feedback. It essentially takes the columns of your table and puts them into a form format so that instead of filling out what looks like an excel table, your students are filling out a simple form. On your side of things, you can see all of the feedback organized in your table for easier viewing.
While there are plenty of great project management tools out there, I’ve always loved building my own through Airtable. Are you wanting to learn more about how you can implement Airtable into your process? Join our waitlist to be the first to know when we launch our exclusive mini training.
