“Better project planning = better projects”

(Teamwork, 2020)

Tackling a passion project demands discipline, and even solo efforts benefit from structured and organized project management. By breaking down your project into the smallest, manageable tasks, you can effectively allocate time and effort for staying focused on your goals.

Last week, I introduced my passion project, a social media campaign titled A Moment in Matchbook. The format requires me to focus on multiple stages of research and creation at a time, so being able to see exactly which areas require my attention on a weekly basis is key.

That’s where Trello comes in. Having had positive experiences with it in the past, its high functionality and simplicity is perfect for my intended use. The flexibility of the software also allows me to easily re-arrange tasks if necessary.

By creating this project plan, my goal is to not only boost productivity and reduce stress, but to also give myself the time and space to ensure the quality of my work exceeds my expectations.

Project Management with Trello

The campaign will run for five weeks, featuring three posts per week on both Instagram and Pinterest. Given the high volume of content and tight timeline, I’ve used Trello to sort my project into four key lists:

1. Module Tasks
2. Research Bibliography
3. Content Calendar
4. Content Creation

Each list contains cards representing each week’s worth of work, all of which are further broken down into actionable tasks.

The project progresses chronologically from the top of each list, with color-labeled cards to clearly indicate the status of my progress. The checklists and deadlines I’ve set for myself will also be valuable for maintaining an organized and successful campaign.

Here, you can see the full board view of my project plan:

Module Tasks

This first list outlines general course responsibilities. I’ve described module objectives for weekly reflection and created a checklist to track assignment submissions.

While this key list doesn’t play a direct role in the research and production of my social media campaign, it’s important to me as a student and creator that I keep my module responsibilities accounted for in one spot to help guide the rest of my plan.

Module 2 card in Module Tasks list

Research Bibliography

The extensive research required to execute this campaign requires careful weekly maintenance. This second list details just that, from the preliminary bibliography due in week 1 to the final annotated submission due in week 7.

Like the modules, each card is comprised of goals and checklists specific to that research phase, whether it be annotations, feedback implementation, or revisions.

Weeks 1 and 2 cards in Research Bibliography list

Content Calendar

To meet platform management goals, a content calendar is essential in ensuring the campaign timeline remains on track. This third list defines weekly calendar responsibilities, emphasizing the updates needed as content is created to best keep track of timely posts to Instagram and Pinterest.

Week 3 card in Content Calendar list

Content Creation

The most important part of any passion project is the product itself, and social media content creation is no exception to that.

The fourth and final list covers weekly content creation, with cards divided into checklists to streamline production of three pieces per platform weekly. This includes both visuals and text, which are added to the calendar once reviewed.

Week 3 card in Content Creation list

Final Thoughts

I believe the project plan I’ve created using Trello provides a thorough structure for weekly productivity. Of course, I plan to make improvements as I discover what works best for me within the guidelines and expectations I’ve set for myself.

The overall process of breaking my project down to its most fundamental details made this whole idea very real for me. I’m truly excited to see the outcomes of these next few weeks and all that is yet to be discovered throughout this journey.

View my full project plan here:

---

Works Cited

Teamwork. (2020). Why is project management important? Www.teamwork.com. https://www.teamwork.com/project-management-guide/why-is-project-management-important/