In "Lightweight project management with Backpack," graphic designer Jonathan Nicol says, "Backpack can also hold its own as a project management tool." Some excerpts:
One of my work related New Year’s resolutions was to plan projects more effectively. Last year I frequently found myself juggling half a dozen or more active projects and it was difficult to keep track of the bigger picture - project deadlines would frequently clash, and managing my workload and client relationships became a delicate balancing act. I desperately needed a better system for planning projects, and software to help me implement the system...I have been using Backpack for basic task management for some time, keeping track of the jobs I need to tackle during the day with a simple to-do list. I always assumed this was the most I could expect from the software, but when I dug deeper into its feature set I realized Backpack can also fulfill a more complex project management role.
When it comes to organizing projects, Backpack doesn’t have an equivalent to the project paradigm which defines most project management applications. Instead it has ‘pages’ which can include any combination of to-do lists, notes - and in the paid version - files and images. However, by dedicating a page to each project it is possible to give each a dedicated area within Basecamp, and keep jobs separate from one another...
Another powerful feature of the Backpack calendar is that events can span several days, making it perfect for emulating Gantt charts. For example, a typical website project might require four multi-day events: Pre-Design, Design, Development and Deployment. By creating a separate color coded calendar for each active job it is easy to get a visual overview of the time allocated across all project, which should make project scheduling far simpler.
Paul also says, "When it comes to granting project permissions for clients and other team members, Backpack is fairly lightweight." But that's about to change. The new version of Backpack will let you add multiple users to your account.
The latest preview of the new Backpack, over at Signal vs. Noise, shows off the Group Calendar.
