37signals: Task Management 101

I’m a web app geek. I like that some of my stuff (notes, to-do lists, etc.) will always be available anywhere there’s an internet connection. They’re good for those times when your main machine decides to act a fool. That’s happened to me before. A number of times. Unforunately, I hadn’t learned about applications based in a browser during those moments of worry and mayhem. And besides, only recently have they gotten good enough to seriously think about moving one’s workflow off the desktop and into, say, Firefox. I previously shared my take on Google Calendar with you, and now I’d like to shift gears a bit to keep things fresh and interesting.

Behemoths like Google and Yahoo! offer a range of web applications, but there is a world of “indie” tech vying for your attention as well, some of which are rather good. At this moment I’d like to explore an entire suite of them all found at the same place: 37 Signals.

If you do a search on Profy, you’ll notice I wrote up a brief piece a few weeks back on what 37signals has to offer, but I thought I’d come back to it and provide you with a better take on their products, so you’ll know not only what’s available, but what those things give you.

I thought I might have done a one-by-one analysis of 37signals’ software – which, from what I can tell, is based entirely on the Ruby on Rails framework – but that would make them out to be a solitary creations, which they are not. There’s no drag-and-drop seamlessness between the collective [yet], but they all do their part to help you and your colleages to work better together. They also have some items to keep your personal plate organized and uncluttered. Let’s delve in.

Basecamp:

37signals make no bones about it: Basecamp is the most utilized of their five products. There’s reason for that, too. Being a complete management utility, everyone from freelancers to small business (500,000 and counting) are using it to stay connected to peers. With a tiered payment plan system, you can choose what’s right for you, from free to $150/month. If your situation changes – say, your team increases or decreases in size – you can always upgrade or downgrade, and the changes go into effect immediately. This is great for those not exactly sure what they need to get out of Basecamp when first starting out.

There’s nothing glitzy about what 37signals is offering. Flash images are nowhere to be found, and the most astonishing graphical effects you’ll see will be disappearing and expanding menus, lists, etc., depending on what you’re doing, what you want changed, and so on.

Templates might not be the most extravagant items when it comes to project management tools, but if you’re the manager, you want to make things inviting for your fellow workers. The options in Basecamp are enough to allow you the power to tailor hues and titles and such to best fit your company’s or your project’s theme. Any excess, however, is nonexistent. I don’t see how anyone working a project would want it any other way. 37signals meant to develop tools you need, allow you to fit it to your taste, and keep distractions out so you can get stuff done.

As I said earlier, there’s a free Basecamp option available, and if you don’t think you’ll be sharing files anytime soon, don’t need a secure workspace, an unlimited supply of writeboards, or have more than one project in the works at one time, you can keep your cash on sign up. Those factors could very well be necessary for you, however, and in such cases, payment plans start at US$12 per month. At first glance this could seem a big jump from free just for a few more options, but those options could very well keep you out of a deadlock down the line. If you find your money’s not being well spent, you can also downgrade if you’d like. Check out Basecamp’s price plan chart for more details.

Campfire:

I won’t go into too much detail about Campfire, but I will say this: If you need to collaborate one-on-one or in groups, Campfire may be all you need. A chat tool in its most basic form, it boasts a surprising wealth of utilities and customization options. Again, I think it bears mentioning that 37signals is all about simplicity, so plain text and colors, apart from images one can upload and share, are all you’ll get. If you want glamour, you’ll need to go elsewhere. You can share and store files for all (or a select few) to access in Campfire so you don’t have to bypass the chatrooms to show off a work-in-progress. With 1gb of space, you probably won’t be running out of room anytime soon. Items can always be removed from Campfire’s ‘files’ section.

It’s also worth pointing out that Campfire is directly accessible in Basecamp, so an exit from your Basecamp workspace will not be required to chat in real-time with colleages.

Backpack, and a byline for Writeboard and Ta-Da Lists:

Backpack is essentially free of charge, but sadly, its calendar feature is only open to paying customers. You get a notebook, to-do lists, a writeboard, and some other small features for free, but to take full advantage of your ‘Backpack’, you’ll need to pay up. You can manage your days fine with free Calendars all over the web, but when you have a notebook, writeboards, file hosting, a list creation tool and sharing (private and public, your choice), it’s easy to see why some would choose to pay to have their stuff all in one place. US$5 per month will begin to open more doors for you, and the more you fork over each month, the more of everything you’ll get. Tech support is open for ‘Basic’ subscribers, and SSL kicks in at the ‘Plus’ package. Considering the provisions and abundance of space and options available, particularly at US$14 per month, I dare say the monthly payment might very well be worth it.

Writeboard and Ta-Da List are both free to use, though in my opinion, you’re better off with one of the group offerings, be it Basecamp, Campfire, or Backpack. All of 37signals’ solutions are free to a certain extent, but keeping things tidy in as few spaces as possible is key to increased productivity, and a few dollars per month will likely get you that whole package you’re looking for.

If you just want a barebones to-do list or a blank slate on which to write, and you don’t want a word processor like Writely (now Google Docs) to do the trick, 37signals offers great options. I’d definitely like to see more integration throughout the entire suite at lower cost, but all good things come at a price, and there’s no doubt that 37signals’ premier trio, along with Ta-Da List and Writeboard, deserve the critical praise they’ve received.