In today’s world where tasks and goals are becoming increasingly abundant and complex, both quantitatively and qualitatively, project management, from design to execution, requires an open mind and intelligent and coherent planning. 

This daunting task of project planning and management may have the ability to be done manually, but now that, thanks to the digital world, much of the work is left to machines and applications, why rely on digital tools in this case as well?

Don’t we? One of the most well-known projects management tools today is called Trello, which is increasing in many users and users day by day.

In this article, you will learn what Trello software is and how you can make the best use of this tool to prevent confusion in your personal and professional life, activities, and tasks.

General introduction of Trello software

Whether you are at work, at home, or somewhere in between, with the simple and flexible design of this program, you can quickly start working with your teammates and organize everything; Therefore, if you are caught up in a multitude of tasks and tasks, if you are unsure of your memory to remember the deadline, give more priority to some tasks if necessary; You also have to work with many people on different projects and even manage to advance their teamwork. Trello software is an efficient and effective tool for you; Of course, if you know how to use it in the best possible way.

How to join Trello

After answering the question of what is Trello software, it is time to get acquainted with how to work with this software. استفادهTo uses Trello, like any other program, you need to create an account for yourself. You can log in with your email; This is how your identity is verified; Then you need to create a board for each project, which has a different vision and mission.

By doing this, you can manage the tasks related to a concern in one place with many and attractive details.

Click to create a Trello account
Create a Trello account

If you work with team members, you can add as many members as you want to Trello. By doing this, you adjust the responsibility of the people in that project; You can also break down a project into more detailed parts on a board, thus splitting large goals into smaller goals to get a better idea of ​​how things are going.

4 main elements of Trello

Trello software has many features, but for any project, you need to work with these 4 elements, capabilities, or core components:

Boards

What are Trello boards? Boards act like a black or whiteboard and have the ability to monitor project information on it; So whether you are launching a new website or planning a vacation, a board in Trello is a place to organize your assignments and partner with colleagues, family, or friends.

Lists

In Lists, you can define the cards related to that project and organize the various stages of work progress through them. Lists can be used to create a workflow, and by moving them through one or more lists, you can specify the path from start to finish; Lists can also be used as a place to track ideas and information. There is no limit to the number of lists you can add to a board, and you can customize them to your liking.

Of course, a basic but effective layout is usually recommended for lists on a board, as follows:

• Things to do (To Do);
• What is currently being done (Doing);
• Done.

In this way, add and set the necessary cards for each step from the first list (to do) and continue until the end of the path, ie the third list (done); But do not forget that Trello is fully customizable with your unique needs; So you can give your lists any name you like. The important thing is to have a clear understanding of what lists are in Trello and what they do; You can implement the work path and roadmap in Trello in any way you are comfortable.

The cards

The basic unit of a board in Trello is the Cards. Cards are used to detail tasks and ideas. Any card can be anything; From a blog post that needs to be written to something that needs to be reminded one day, such as company closure policies. You can just add a new card at the end of each list by clicking on the “Add another card” option and giving it any name that specifies the purpose of the task.

By adding a card, you can add and manipulate many more details, including the members involved in the task, the specific color of the task, the files and documents needed to do it, and the preparation of a checklist to complete the task. In the cards section, like the lists, there is no limit to the number.

Menu

To the right of your trolley dashboard is a Menu, which is kind of the control center of your mission board. The menu is where you can manage team members, control settings, filter cards, and add features to the free version of Trello; Also in the menu section, you can see all the activities done by yourself or other members on one board.

Get started with Trello software

Create a Trello board

Once you have opened your account, the first thing you need to do is create aboard. You can have as many boards as you want in your account; For example, design businesses often have a separate board for each client to make everything clear and defined.

Other product development teams use only one board to create a team sprint.

To create a board, press the “+” button at the top right of the screen and click on Create Board;

After that, you just need to select the name and background that appear on the back of your cards.

You can define your board as “public”, “private” or “visible to the team”; However, if there is no need for public access to the board, it is recommended that you make it private or visible to the team.

We’ll talk about inviting others to the board later, but we should note that only people who are invited to private boards can see it. This means that it is quite possible to use Trello software at the same time, both for work tasks and to have a private board for tasks that need to be done at home.

Click the Boards button on the left side of the page to see all the boards related to your account.

Use lists

To fill your board, you need to make a list. Note that you can set as many lists as you want.

The global baseboard usually consists of 3 columns “do”, “in progress” and “done”, but it is not mandatory and you can add any column you want; For example, “Marketing Tasks” or “Food Options”.

Note: Trello also has good examples for boards related to marketing, hiring, scrum, lifestyle, and so on. You can check out their sample templates for board-type inspiration.

To rename the list, simply click on the title field. If you want to put your list in another position, click on the title option and drag it wherever you want. Finally, if you want to add more lists to the board, click the Add a list button.

It was very simple; It is true? That is why people love Trello.

Add Trello cards

After setting the list, you can add cards. You can do this by clicking the Add a card button in your list or clicking the “…” (dot) next to the title and then clicking Add Card.

Professional Tip: To make the card faster, place the titles as cells in a spreadsheet program such as Excel; Then paste them in the title of the card. here you are! Each separate line in this file becomes a new card.

After that, you need to give your card a title and press the add button.

You can assign any of the cards to a member of your team. We will explain more about tasks in the rest of this tutorial.

Now, it’s good to know that you can see all your designated cards in the lists and boards section. To make a list of all your cards, click on your avatar on the right side of the page and then select Cards from the menu.

Edit the card in Trello

Trello cards with full details

Trello cards are known as “advanced sticky notes”. The reason for this is that you can add an incredible amount of valuable information to the back of the cards. All you have to do is click on your card.

In the add a more detailed description box, you can add more details to the card, and with the buttons on the right, you can specify the completion date for the card and add attachments.

Attachments can be image files, videos, and even links.

Professional Tip: If the attached file is .jpg, .gif or .png, it can be seen on the front of your card and the board.

Subscribe and subscribe

Note that you can add your team members to a card or subscribe to a card.

What is the difference between membership and subscription?

In the first case, members are linked to the card; Probably because the card is actually what they need to do.

Participating in work simply means that you can keep up with the changes that are taking place on the card. This is very useful when filtering cards based on who has been added to them.

Professional tip: To be able to add yourself to a card from the board, place the mouse cursor on it and press the space bar.

Checklists for your trolley cards

You can add a checklist from the taskbar to the card to check after it is done. If you later wish you did not have a checklist, you can easily delete it.

Card tags

You can also color and tag your cards using the labels button.

Using this feature is very practical; For example, to mark marketing cards, describe software problems, or perhaps specific customer-related problems.

 Comment on the cards

You can add your own feedback and comments to the card by clicking the Add Comment button.

In the comments section, you can add attachments and emojis, name a specific person in that comment, and create links to other cards.

Activity history

Below the comments section is the Activity section, which lists all the changes that have been made to the card.

This way you can find out who made what changes at what time.

How to transfer or copy a Trello card?

Under the Actions section, you can move the card to another board or list with the Move button.

Copy allows you to copy the card anywhere.

Delete or archive Trello card

There is no direct button to delete the Trello card;

However, you can archive the card to remove it from your Trello board. If you go to the More button in the menu and then Archived Items, you can delete the card.

If you find it necessary to return the card to the board, refer to this section and click Send to Board to return the card to the board.

Additional options for Trello card

If you click Share and more at the bottom right of the card, additional options will appear.

These options include allowing you to print the card, find links to the card, and add comments to the card using the specified email address (which is unique to each individual).

Professional Tip: You can use JSON to output changes to each card and place the card as a widget on web pages.

Edit list in Trello

On the board, click the “…” button at the top right of the list.

There are options here that are worth considering; Things like Archive All Cards in This List and Archive this List, which removes lists from the board.

From this menu, you can also subscribe to all card updates related to a specific list.

Now that you have the cards on your list, you can try them out and move them anywhere on the board.

Edit the board in Trello

Each board in Trello has a menu that provides you with useful tools.

You can find this menu on the right side of your trolley board.

Add user to Trello board

If you use Trello software to track workflows, you may want to add other people. You can do this with the invite button; You can invite a user who is currently a Trello member to the board by email or account, or email someone and invite them to use Trello.

If you want to add a group of people, click invite people by giving them a special link and then just share the link with them instead of adding individual people to the board separately.

Remove users from the Trello board

To remove a member from the board, click on his avatar at the top of the menu and select Remove from Board.

By default, all members can add another person to the board or remove one person from the board;

Also, if you want to leave the board, you can remove yourself from the board.

Manage user access

To change other members’ abilities to add or remove other users, click More, then Settings, and then click Add / Remove Permissions.

Change this option for Admin only. From the more page, you can edit how the tags appear and find your archived options (if you were in a hurry to remove them from the board).

Trello front page and stickers

Change Background Allows you to change your front page.

With Stickers, you can draw pictures and drop them on your cards.

If you have decided to remove the stickers, simply place the mouse pointer on the card and click on the pencil icon in the upper right; Then hold down the sticker and click Remove.

If your account is Trello Gold, you can even add animated GIFs to your card covers.

Filtering the Trello board

The next option is the Filter Cards menu, which allows you to view tasks with a specific tag or specific members on the board.

This option is especially useful when you work with Scrum Board and different team members and you like to filter your work.

Also, if you want to identify cards that are more urgent in terms of time, you can filter them by delivery time.

If you need more restrictions on the cards, you can even use multiple filters at the same time.

Search the Trello board

The search bar is a simple way to find everything on the board.

This tape also provides various operations; for example:

• @Me search This bar shows all the cards assigned to you.
• The due: week search shows all the cards that are due next week.
• The label: green search returns all the cards labeled green.

You can use several operators at the same time; For example, search for green-labeled cards that have been assigned to you, and the deadline is next week.

History of changes

At the bottom of the menu is the Activity section. This option lists all the changes that have been made to the board cards.

Close the Trello board

You can close your board completely; Of course, note that this will close the board for everyone.

Do not be afraid if you close the board by mistake. You can click on the See closed boards option on your boards’ page, then click Re-Open (not delete) and return the closed board.

Introducing Trello PowerUps

Trello Power-ups allow you to sync with other apps to add new features and functions.

With a free account, you can use a power-up. If you need multiple power-ups, you need to upgrade your account to business class.

In this introduction, we will very quickly introduce a few important points about power-ups, but since there are so many, we can not mention them all. You can see the full list of PowerUps on the Trello Blog.

You can select power-ups from the power-ups tab in the menu on the right side of the board.

Trello Calendar

One of Trello`s most useful power-ups is Calendar. With the calendar, you can view your cards on the calendar based on their delivery date.

This visualization method makes task scheduling easier and provides a demonstration of the tasks ahead.

Power fields Custom options

This power-up allows you to add new and custom options to the front and back of the card.

Although this power-up may not be very exciting, it allows you to:

• Mark the cards as finished;
• Add start and end dates to cards;
• Add drop-down lists;
• Add contact information to cards;
• ….

If you have a Business or Enterprise‌ account, you can include custom options information when getting out of the boards, which gives you complete transparency of what is happening.

Sync with Jira

Many companies use both Trello and Jira in their various divisions; Therefore, this power-up, which synchronizes both programs, can be a very powerful tool.

With this power-up, you can create new issues in Jira from Trello and attach them to the cards.

If you need to submit tasks and requests to the engineering team through JIRA, this power-up will make your job easier.

Other noteworthy power-ups

• Sync with Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive to attach files to cards;
• Power-up Schedule (Aging) cards that, if not updated, will disappear after a while;
• There are also syncs for Slack, Salesforce, Evernote, and Github.

Create cards by email in Trello

One of the good features of Trello, which is probably rarely used by users, is the ability to send notes to Trello and automatically create a new card, which makes things easier. This feature is somewhat hidden by default.

Here is how to use it.

1. Open Trello and go to the page to which you want to send the card;

2. Click the menu display in the upper right corner;

3. Click on More;

4. Select Email-to-board Settings;

5. Use the 2 options at the bottom to select the list where you want the card to be displayed and which you want to place at the top or bottom of the list;

6. Copy the email address;

7. Save it in your e-mail address booklet; (If you are a Gmail user, you can use the address to send your email to be automatically saved for the next time.);

8. To send an email to Trello as a card, just send the message to your Trello address.

Trello applications

Trello tool has many uses. In this section, we review many applications of this tool:

1. daily schedule

If you have to do different things during the day, it is better to have a list of all of them. With Trello you can put all your tasks and tasks in a list; It also lets you know what you need to do today.

2. Time tracking

Time tracking does not have to be done hour by hour. In fact, it is a way to increase your productivity.

3. Organize study lists

If the number of catalogs and books you should read is increasing, you can create a card for each of them and have a list of them.

4. Vacation planning

For planning holidays, one must often make decisions not. Trello makes this easier by creating lists of daily activities.

5. Budget management

Trello can help you create a financial plan. You can make a new card at any time and check the amount of income and expenses.

6. Project Management

No matter what your project is, Trello can help you. Just create your own board and put different lists on it. By doing this, you can manage and control even the smallest tasks.

Disadvantages of Trello

1. Without the Internet, there is no trolley

In general, the main problem of all software, not just Trello, is the need for the Internet. If you do not have internet access, you will not have access to Trello. Internet access may seem very trivial given the age we live in, but unfortunately, there can always be situations where you can not access the Internet.

2. Its storage space is limited

Although Trello can hold many attachments, these attachments must be less than 250 MB (per upload), if you have a Gold account. The problem is that if you do not have a Gold account, you are only allowed to upload 102 MB.

3. Submit comments

One of Trello`s current problems is that you can’t edit the comment you submitted. After posting and saving a comment, there is only one option, the option to write a new comment.

4. Not suitable for large projects

When it comes to smaller projects, Trello does a good job, but if project management on a larger scale is needed, Trello may not be the best option.

Importance and benefits of Trello

We now turn to some of the benefits of using Trello :

1. Ability to use it on mobile

One of the most important things that software should provide to users today is the ability to use it on mobile. Trello has made this possible. Now, you can access Trello via tablet, mobile, and PC.

2. Simpler pricing structure

Compared to other well-known project management tools, Trello has a much simpler pricing structure; For example, by paying $ 252 a month, you can access an unlimited account. This package allows you to invite an unlimited number; It also has many features that should not be overlooked.

3. Announcements

Trello does not disappoint you when it comes to announcements. You will never miss a thing. You will receive an email whenever a card is deleted, commented on, or updated. If you use Trello on your mobile phone, you will also receive a notification.

4. Delete ridiculous notes

Many of us leave notes to ourselves and then forget what they were related to. You will no longer face such a problem with Trello. All annoying notes disappear in an instant.

5. No delay

The update system is very fast; Even if several people work on projects at the same time, the speed will not slow down.

6. Easy invitation of people

You can invite people to Trello in a few seconds, just enter the email address.

7. simple design

The most important thing to note about Trello is its user-friendly nature. Trello is very easy to use and the steps of making cards and boards are intuitive and user-friendly.

8. Adherence to the Kanban system

Toyota introduced the Kanban system in the 1950s, which played a significant role in identifying development issues. The Kanban system uses cards and boards to help plan tasks.

As you can see, Trello offers many benefits to users, but if you want to look at it fairly, you have to consider the disadvantages as well.

As you can see, Trello has many benefits and benefits for businesses, businessmen, entrepreneurs, and anyone who has to handle day-to-day tasks or manage projects. According to reviews, Trello is a great software that helps you with basic tasks. Trello is effective for both personal and professional use.

Remove the label from the card in Trello

Labeling tags in Trello can make it much easier to remember and share their content. You can edit the name of the labels by hovering the mouse over the card, clicking on the pencil icon that appears, and then selecting Edit labels. Click on the pencil icon in the label that you want to rename;

Board managers can also change the title of the tags from the board list; First, select the Labels option and click on the pencil icon next to the label they want to rename.

You can delete the tag in the same field as you rename it. To do this, click on the Delete option at the bottom of the change Label menu.

Copy the list, card, or page in Trello

You can copy almost anything in Trello to reuse existing cards, checklists, lists, and boards.

The cards

Open the card and select Copy from the right sidebar, under Actions. After clicking Copy, you can name the copied card, as well as what you want to keep, and select where you want the card to be copied.

Lists

By copying a list, all the cards in it, including checklists, attachments, and comments taken from the original cards, are copied to the new list.

To copy a list, click the context menu at the top right of the list and select Copy list. When we copy a list, we are actually copying the card’s descriptions, attachments, and comments, and we do not need to copy the card’s activity history (when the card was moved between the lists).

Boards

You can copy all the boards! Open the on-board menu, then click More and select Copy board. When a board is copied, we copy the cards and their descriptions (not the comments or activity of the card). If you want to have a full version of the board, it is best to copy each list separately and move it to your new board; You can also check if you want to change the board administrators or move the board to a new workspace instead.

 

 

Sorting cards in Trello

Recently, in lectures on effective user interface design, I used the possibility of sorting cards to teach students the concept of mental model mismatch and showed how each of us has a different type of classification system. I decided to use Trello instead of traditional physical cards to reduce costs and promote paperless workflow, which worked well despite a bit of confusion.

In the following, I have explained how to use Trello to sort cards face-to-face or remotely.

1. Register in Trello

Ask participants to register with Trello if they do not have an account.

2. Create a new board to sort the card

Ask them to make a new board for that type of card.

3. Name the first list as Unsorted

Participants must unsubscribe from the first list that appears when the board is created.

Click Save.

4. Copy the raw Unsorted text

Ask them to access the raw and unclassified list of collections. I used Google Docs for this, but it will work as long as you can give it a text file from the list.

5. Insert text

Ask people to place the text in the first card of the Unsorted list, then click Save. You need to tell them not to enter the entire list in the Step 3 list title; Instead, placement must take place on the first card.

In doing so, Trello asks them if they want to convert the list into separate cards.

They must select the Create XX cards option.

6. Start sorting

If you are doing a sorting process for free where participants can create their own categories, just teach them that they can make new lists and then drag the cards; Otherwise, you should teach them what kind of categorization is allowed.

Note: I have noticed that some students who have just entered the Trello environment are typing cards from one category to another again. They can easily drag the cards into their categories.

7. Now is the time to deliver

If they select the private option when creating the board, they need to change the Visibility to Public option. Alternatively, you can form teams, invite all your participants, and then ask them to change the visibility of the team you created.

To share the link with you, ask them to click Show Menu and then More and copy the link to the Link to this board section.

Your attendees can send you their sorted board link via email or any of your preferred collaboration tools. I used Google Spaces for my class.

Tricks and shortcuts of Trello software

Advanced Tips and Tricks

• To create the card in bulk, write the titles in the spreadsheet cells such as Excel and paste them into the title of the card. Each separate line in the file will create a new card.
• A practical trick to know is to create cards by email. To do this, go to the menu on the right and click on more, and then Email-to-board Setting. You can now create cards by sending an email to this address.
• Do you want to create a list between two existing lists? Just double-click on the same place.
• For a quick checklist, you can create multiple checklist options on a card at the same time by copying the list with separate lines.
• To attach the link to the card, just paste the link in the Attachment section, or when you are on the board, drag the link and drop it on the card.
• You can also put YouTube videos on the cards; You can do this by attaching a video link in the comments section.

Keyboard shortcuts

• You can see all the cards assigned to you by pressing the Q button.
• We mentioned earlier that when you are on the board, you can add yourself to the card by holding the mouse over the card and pressing the space bar; If you want to add another person to the card, click on the letter M.
• When you hold the mouse over the card and press the letter L, you can change the label on the card from the same board.
• You can edit the card by holding the mouse over the card and pressing the letter E.
• You can see the due date of the card by holding the mouse on the card and pressing the letter D.
• You can also use the arrow keys <and> to move cards between different lists, the Enter key to open a card, and the / key to start the search.
• You can even copy the card by holding the mouse on the cards and pressing Ctrl / ⌘ + C; Use Ctrl / ⌘ + X to remove the card and then attach the card with Ctrl / ⌘ + V.

Other features of Trello software

Trello has many details, all of which have been installed and adjusted to facilitate the execution of projects; For example, if you specify a time and date for each task as a due date, you will be notified in the notifications section that the due date is approaching or that it is due; Another feature of Trello software is the display of tasks in the form of a calendar; From the Calendar section, you can see all the cards you have defined, based on the specified deadlines, and click on each to enter their details.

As we have said, Trello is a detailed and efficient program for project management, you only need to work with Trello software once to understand its details.

In addition to its free version, Trello also has 3 paid options:

• Trello Gold:  In this case, users can use Trello individually to enjoy more features.
• Trello Business Class:  Suitable for teams with multiple users who want more precise control over how people access boards and data.
• Trello Enterprise:  In this mode, Trello activates important capabilities, such as rigid support as well as greater security for large-scale economic teams.

Inconsistency or error during a project is inevitable, But these inconsistencies can be reduced with the help of some tools. Tell us about your experience if you have also used the Trello tool and its capabilities as an employer or manager of a collection, or if you are acting as a team member in Trello. Now that you know what Trello is and how you can work with it; Do you think Trello can be a good alternative to manual scheduling?

Conclusion

Trello’s founder, Michael Pryor, called his product “project boards with strong adhesive writing”; And we fully understand why he used such a phrase.

Using Trello, while very easy and obvious, offers powerful performance. This makes Trello a good choice for individuals and teams that use a simple workflow.

Whether you want to use Trello to track the tasks of your business, or to compare posts in an archival way, Trello makes it easy and fast for you.

Trello does not have the flexibility of Jira (or other Atlassian tools), but it is more user-friendly and easier when you start working with it.

However, using the above tips and tricks will make your job somewhat easier and speed up the process; In addition, the basic version of Trello software is free to use; So, you will not lose anything by trying it.