Glossary

Specialized terminology with their definitions

 

Assigned user – A Task creator can assign a Task to someone for completion. They become the person responsible for completion. Only one person can be assigned a Task, and only the Creator can close/mark complete the Task. These individuals can make changes to every aspect of the Task except that they cannot see the Organization tab in the Right Panel or Full View.

Boards – The Bubbles Planner implementation of a project, consisting of all the Tasks required to complete the objective of the project. Boards can only be shared with individuals who are assigned a Task related to its completion.A Board itself cannot be assigned.

Bubble – Visual representation of a task. Color indicates the category, size indicates degree of importance/effort (larger is more important). In an instant, you recognize the most important Tasks, allowing for easy, efficient prioritization..

Bubbles Planner View – The jewel of the app is this view. Here you see all your tasks for the week represented by the bubbles you create automatically when you create a task. You are free to move the Bubbles around in the window. You can group by color (indicating a project or client, for instance), group like size Bubbles together so the most important in any category take precedence, and more.

Collections – Similar to a knowledge base, it is a collection of items that you wish to share universally. Typically created from a Board. Collections can be shared with any individual having a Bubbles Planner account.

Contextual value –  This value is a virtual scale of task importance in relation to the primary goal the Task is supporting. As with the Level of Effort, it is a subjective value, set by the user’s perception of the value of this relationship. Not all tasks are equal even though they seem to have the same amount of effort required to complete them.  

 

For simplicity it uses number range from 1 to 9 where lowest value has the least importance and highest value has the most importance.

 

Effort – The amount of resources, energy, time, etc. needed to complete a Task. The larger the number in this setting, the larger the Bubble in Bubbles Planner View.This rating can also represent importance if you desire. Use the slider in the Create Task dialog to set the level of Effort.

Favorites – Another mechanism by which you can mark any Task within Bubbles Planner as meriting additional attention or differentiation. It can denote the highest priority, a Post you particularly like, etc. You decide.

Final Values – This is a calculated value representation of the true importance of a Task. This value is  calculated by multiplying the Effort level value by Contextual Sticker value.  

 

Example:     Task Effort = 3

Contextual Sticker value assigned to the task = 4

Final Value =  3 x 4 = 12  (points)

 

A Final Value provides a better understanding of the true benefit from a particular Task’s resolution outcome. By merging the Task’s importance with its required Effort, users and management have a clearer understanding of its real impact upon achieving related goals.

 

For instance, if a user spends a great deal of time resolving tasks that have low contextual values, they are misapplying their time and resources that could be better invested in Tasks with higher Final Values.

 

While it is true all Tasks must be resolved, performance in completing Tasks with higher Final Values can help

It helps to measures user performance in task completion, or it can improve the decision making process by highlighting which Task should be solved first, second, and so on.  

 

Following – When you find a Collection that you particularly like, you can Follow it’s creator, just like you can in social media. You can unfollow as well. To Follow another individual, you must have a Bubbles Planner account.

 

Followers – When people discover that they like your work as presented in your Collections, they can follow you. Again, the concept is like that used in social media. For an individual to Follow you, they must have a Bubbles Planner account.

Labels – The tool that allows you to categorize Tasks by whatever rationale you select; organization, client, project, home, etc. Labels are distinguished by color (which then is given to the Bubble for the Task), an alphanumeric designator, and a title.

List – This view displays all the Tasks you have created, or been assigned, with each task having its own row.

Notifications – You can set Bubbles Planner to notify you when a variety of events occur such as a Task being due or someone commenting on a Shared Board.

 

Planning methods – Techniques and methodologies developed to help make planning and execution easier to manage. The following methods and techniques are part of Bubbles Planner.

• Freestyle planning method  – This approach provides Bubbles Planner users a simple and clear space for managing tasks visually using the Bubbles Planner View. Users can arrange the Bubbles relating to Tasks in any configuration that helps them prioritize and execute those Tasks.

 

• Kanban + planning method  – This method divides the space in the Bubbles Planner view into two seperate sections. The smaller of the two sections is reserved for the Most Important Tasks (MIT) and those Bubbles are moved into that space. The other section if for the remaining Bubbles. These Tasks are in a holding mode, waiting for the user to select one and move it up to the MIT space for execution. At a glance, Users can see which are the MITs for the week.

 

• Matrix system planning method  – This technique utilizes the familiar four quadrant sections. Each quadrant has a specific level of importance and urgency. The Bubbles are placed in the appropriate quadrant, allowing users to tackle the most important and urgent Tasks first.
  • Important & urgent
  • Important & not urgent
  • Not important & urgent
  • Not important & not urgent

 

• Combo planning method  –  Bubbles Planner offers a combination of the Kanban + and Matrix approaches. In this view, a separate section for Most Important Tasks from the Kanban + method is at the top of the four quadrants of the Matrix approach. Users can prioritize their MITs to an even higher level in this view.

 

• Getting Things Done (GTD) planning method – As implemented in Bubbles Planner, this is our adaptation of the GTD method, utilizing The Bubbles Planner View. It divides bubbles space into 3 sections:  
  • Upper section is for MIT (must be done now).
  • Middle section is for tasks that are scheduled to be moved to MIT in its own sequence.
  • Lower section is for tasks queued up for the review (“Review for action”).

 

Pomodoro time management method  – This is a time management technique that Bubbles Planner users can implement with ease. The basic concept is to focus one a single piece of work, uninterrupted if possible, for 25 minutes. At the end of 25 minutes, you take a 10 minute break. Another 25 minutes on task with another 10 minute break. Finally, a 25 minute work period followed by a 30 minute break. The science is that working in shorter, focused bursts with time to refocus in between is a more productive and less stressful way to manage a workday.

 

Post – Consider this an informational tool (reference only), a means of presenting data, images, etc. for informative purposes. Identical to a task with the exception it is not time bound, has no due date and will not show up in any of your Buckets. It will only show up in the Post List View.

Scheduling buckets are the mechanism Bubbles Planner uses to capture and present all your Tasks and other work in a manner that lets you focus on the work while the Buckets handle the presentation. The system makes sure Tasks are presented in the proper Bucket at the proper time.

There are five (5) buckets in all. Read on to see what each does, and contains.

• Week1 – This bucket contains your current week’s Tasks. It is filled strictly by date, like all the buckets. If a Task has a due date in the current week, it shows up here.
• Week2 – This bucket holds all Tasks with due dates next week.
• Week3 – This bucket has all Tasks with due dates two weeks out.
• Backlog – This is where any Task with a due date more than three (3) weeks out is corralled until it can be moved into Week3.
• Someday – We all have things we’d like to get to “someday.” Bubbles Planner provides a unique way to capture those, keeping them from getting lost in a tickle file somewhere. Create a Task and select “Someday” for the due date. The Task is given a date a long way out, say 2040. It will stay in Someday until then, or until you change the date and move it forward.

Shared users – This allows multiple people to see a Task, Board, Post, etc. These users can read only, they cannot make any changes or additions. They also cannot view the Organization tab in the Right Panel or Full View.

Stickers (contextual stickers) – Icons that you can select and customize from those supplied to add visual “value context” to a Task. These show up in the List view and can be used to further associate a particular task by choosing an icon that represents some aspect of the project, client, etc.

The most important aspect of a Sticker is the use to represent the value of a particular Task relative to others to focus attention and resources on the most valuable Tasks first.

Sub-task – Part of a larger Task, individual steps that break the Task into smaller increments or actions. Sub-tasks can be assigned to individuals and multiple Boards.

Tags – are keywords. They can be assigned to the Tasks to make them easier to search for and find..

Task – A to-do, an action needing to be taken, part of a larger effort, or an effort in itself. Tasks can be assigned to individuals and multiple Boards.

Task owner – This is the person who created the Task. With creation comes power, only you can assign the Task or mark it as Complete. Use the power wisely.

Users – Individuals with a Bubbles Planner account. These individuals can create and own Tasks, Posts, Boards, and Collections within their own account and may assign Tasks to others with Bubbles Planner accounts and invite users to view Tasks, Posts, etc.