What better way to kick off this series of blog posts about my favorite apps than with my favorite go-to app: Trello.

In its original intent, and in the business world, Trello is a cloud-based project management application. The basic tool uses Kanban style columns to break down tasks into three columns: To Do, Doing, and Done. Each task can be assigned its own card, assigned members, labels, a description, checklists, comments, and more.

Trello at (My) Work

My work teams use Trello daily to communicate about a number of tasks including sharing product bugs and feature improvement requests with our product team. We create a card to document the request, assign ourselves as members. We communicate actions through the card to keep the full history of the discussion in one place.

We use Trello to set agendas for team meetings. Following the standard flow, each week keeps us focused on our agenda. We use it to note weekly updates or changes on each topic. If a team member has new items to discuss, they simply create a card. Once a card is done, it simply gets moved to the appropriate column.

We also use Trello as a welcome new staff, plan a user conference and as personal to-do task boards all with the same intent. We generally perform all of these tasks with a free level, but the professional level contains even more goodies with Power-Ups which extend even further what Trello can do.

Trello at (My) Home

This is where Trello gets really creative. My own Trello account features boards for things like:

• Soccer team planning including upcoming games, rosters, practice activities, items to discuss with parents, and more
• Places to eat around our house including a breakdown by food style, attached menus, websites, labels denoting if they are kid-friendly, and family ratings
• Books I want to read, including category (non-fiction, mystery, biography, etc.) synopsis, reviews, etc.
• Movies and shows I want to read
• Vacation trip planning, and notes about the day’s events from the mobile app (with pictures to summarize)
• Gift shopping ideas for family and friends
• Weekly meal planning with recipes, labels, and ratings on cards
• Weekly tasks and chores for our family “team”
• Places to visit around town with the kids during school breaks
• Household fixes and repair needs
• Recurring tasks and other personal goals

Best of all, Trello is completely free with an easy mobile app (iOS / Android). Please consider checking it out, including the Inspiration boards found here and here or the Trello Dojo here.