Project Organization Philosophy
Principles
Good project organization follows these principles:- Findability: Anyone should find what they need quickly
- Consistency: Similar things are organized the same way
- Scalability: Structure works as the project grows
- Clarity: Purpose and contents are obvious
Questions to Ask
Before creating a project, consider:- What work will happen here?
- Who needs access?
- How long will this project be active?
- What content types will it contain?
- How does it relate to other projects?
Workspace Structure
Organizing Areas
Areas are your top-level organization: By Department:Choosing the Right Structure
Project Types
Active Projects
Projects with ongoing work:- Regular activity from team
- Active tasks and discussions
- Frequently updated resources
- Product Development
- Marketing Campaigns
- Customer Support
Reference Projects
Projects primarily for documentation:- Less frequent updates
- Mostly knowledge base content
- Reference material
- Company Handbook
- Brand Guidelines
- Technical Documentation
Time-Bound Projects
Projects with defined start and end:- Specific deliverable or goal
- Clear timeline
- Will be completed/archived
- Q1 Product Launch
- Office Move
- Annual Conference
Naming Conventions
Project Names
Use clear, descriptive names: Good names:- “Mobile App Development”
- “Q1 2024 Marketing Campaign”
- “Customer Onboarding Process”
- “Project X”
- “Stuff”
- Abbreviations without context
Prefixes
Choose meaningful task prefixes:Consistency
Apply naming patterns consistently:- Same format across similar projects
- Document your conventions
- Train new team members
Within-Project Organization
Task Organization
Organize tasks effectively: By Status:- Use the built-in statuses (Backlog, To Do, In Progress, Done)
- Keep backlog for future ideas
- Move tasks through stages
- Urgent for critical items
- High for important
- Medium for standard
- Low for nice-to-haves
- Clear ownership
- Don’t over-assign one person
- Use filters to see individual workloads
Resource Organization
Organize knowledge base content: Page Naming:- Group related pages together
- Use consistent naming patterns
- Archive outdated content
Templates and Standards
Project Templates
Create templates for common project types: Starter content:- Welcome/overview page
- Standard task list
- Common resources
Document Templates
Create reusable document templates:- Meeting notes template
- Project brief template
- Decision log template
- Status update template
Task Templates
For recurring task sets:- Sprint checklist
- Release tasks
- Onboarding tasks
- Review process
Managing Project Lifecycle
Starting a Project
When creating a new project:1
Define purpose
Clear objective for the project.
2
Set up structure
Create based on template or from scratch.
3
Add initial content
Overview page, first tasks, key resources.
4
Invite members
Add the right people with appropriate roles.
5
Announce
Let the team know about the new project.
Maintaining a Project
Keep projects healthy:- Regular cleanup: Archive completed tasks
- Update documentation: Keep pages current
- Review access: Remove inactive members
- Check relevance: Is this project still needed?
Closing a Project
When a project is complete:1
Verify completion
All tasks done, objectives met.
2
Document outcomes
Create summary page with results.
3
Archive content
Move to archive state.
4
Notify team
Announce project completion.
Common Patterns
Product Development Project
Marketing Campaign Project
Client Project
Scaling Your Organization
As Your Team Grows
Adjust structure as needed:Signs You Need to Reorganize
- Hard to find things
- Duplicate projects exist
- Confusion about where things belong
- New members struggle to navigate
Reorganization Tips
Plan before acting
Plan before acting
Document the new structure before making changes. Get buy-in from key stakeholders.
Communicate changes
Communicate changes
Announce reorganization, explain the new structure, update any documentation.
Migrate gradually
Migrate gradually
Don’t change everything at once. Move projects incrementally.
Clean up old structure
Clean up old structure
Archive or delete empty areas and projects after migration.
Best Practices Summary
Keep it simple
Keep it simple
Start with a minimal structure. Add complexity only when needed.
Be consistent
Be consistent
Apply the same patterns across similar projects. Document your conventions.
Review regularly
Review regularly
Periodically audit your structure. Archive completed projects.
Listen to feedback
Listen to feedback
If people can’t find things, the structure needs work.
Evolve thoughtfully
Evolve thoughtfully
As your team grows, evolve the structure—but thoughtfully, with planning.
Next Steps
Onboarding Your Team
Get your team set up effectively.
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