A context-aware to-do-list system
. He shows at what time and what place what kind of tasks is most appropriate. For example if you are in a work environment that allows only low concentration like an airport, you should start tasks that require short time (to avoid costly interruptions) and low concentration like
- Sort email, Spell-check documents, Take care of beaurocratic chores, Annotate photographs, Experiment with new software, Web surfing, Optimize graphical design
In a quiet environment that allows high concentration however, you should to tasks like
- Create an outline for a new publication, Debug code, Software design, Devise algorithms, Read complex papers
This would be a great fetaure for a modern task-management system. Instead of simply delivering to-do-lists without any ordering as it is done by most current systems or a simple ordering based on priority and urgency, a context-aware task-management system could show only tasks that are appropiate to the specific situation.
For example if you are working in the office very early or very late and most of the colleagues are out of office, the system should propose high-concentration tasks. In the afternoon the system should propose tasks that require a lot of interaction and communication because most communication-partners will be reachable by that time.
There are even more possibilities when you take mobile devices into consideration. The task list synchronized to your PDA or smartphone or iPod should include only tasks you are able to do on the road and leave high-concentration tasks to better working conditions.
This article is a part of Lars Trieloff's weblog. If you like this article please subscribe to my feed and get automatically notified of updates.
I am Product Manager for Collaboration and Digital Asset Management at
my trackback didn't work, so:
http://blog.jochen-lillich.de/archives/454-Working-on-tasks-in-the-right-context.html
Posted by Jochen Lillich on July 19, 2006 at 02:22 PM CEST #
having a system like basecamp that allows you to categorize tasks is fine, but what I am dreaming of is a system that allows multiple othorgonal categorizations and delivers context-specific task lists depending on the time and device you are using to view a task list.
Posted by Lars Trieloff on July 19, 2006 at 09:24 PM CEST #