Christian Schaaf's Blog + Portfolio

Tag: project-management

  • A 101 Guide to Organizing Your Passion Project

    A 101 Guide to Organizing Your Passion Project

    You’ve got a big idea, the creative juices are flowing, and your passion project is finally taking shape. Now comes the tricky but fun part: getting organized. Whether you’re crafting a social campaign, building a website, or developing a multimedia series, staying organized will make the creative process much smoother.

    Let’s be honest: starting something new can be overwhelming. Where do you begin? How do you wrangle all your ideas into something cohesive? What tools actually help?

    Good news: I’m in the thick of this myself, and I’ve got your back. Here’s your go-to guide for organizing your passion project, featuring real tips from my experience working on “Preserve the Peaks,” a multimedia conservation campaign about Rocky Mountain National Park.

    Why Project Management Tools Are Game-Changers

    My “Preserve The Peaks” Project Plan in Trello.

    When you’re juggling tasks, ideas, deadlines, and research, using a project management system is a must. It gives you a visual structure for your work, helps you prioritize, and ensures you actually finish what you start.

    Some of the most popular tools out there include Trello, Asana, Notion, and Monday.com. Which one should you use? It all depends on your personal preferences and project style. Explore the features of each, and see which fits your organization style best.

    I chose Trello for my campaign. I love the card-based system, which lets me:

    • Create task checklists (there’s nothing more satisfying than checking something off)
    • Set due dates
    • Assign collaborators
    • Attach images and resources
    • Leave notes and updates

    For “Preserve the Peaks,” I divided my Trello board into sections by week and topic. Here’s a glimpse into how I broke it down:

    • Week 1: Research
    • Week 2: Organization
    • Weeks 3–4: Infographics and interactive posters
    • Weeks 5–6: Digital guide (PDF)
    • Week 7: Final packaging and project promotion

    Within each section, I created individual task cards and broke them into bite-sized and actionable to-do lists. The more detailed your checklists, the easier it is to stay on track.

    Mastering the Art of Annotated Bibliographies

    When your project management system is up and running, it’s time to dig into your research. You’ve probably already gathered sources, which is great! Now comes the part where you actually make sense of them.

    Start annotating your bibliography. For each source, write a few short paragraphs answering:

    • What is the source about?
    • Why is it important to your project?
    • How will you use the information?

    This make your research easier to reference later and also gives you a clearer picture of the themes and takeaways you want to emphasize.

    Some of the resources I used include:

    There are plenty of great resources out there on how to write an annotated bibliography if you want a template or tips!

    Creating a Project Plan That Works for You

    You’ve got your management tool. Your research is being annotated. Now it’s time to bring it all together in a clean, strategic project plan.

    Here’s what I included in my project plan:

    1. Project Management Approach: A quick overview of what platform I’m using (Trello) and how I’ve structured my boards and cards.
    2. Week-by-Week Action Plan: Each week has a clear focus with tasks tied to it, making progress feel achievable and steady.
    3. Visuals & Screenshots: Including screenshots of my Trello board helped make the plan more dynamic and transparent.

    Design your plan to match the tone of your campaign. Mine features the earthy, natural tones of the Rockies and a clean layout that’s easy to navigate. Treat it like an extension of your brand, and it will set the tone for the rest of your work.

    Let’s Get Creating

    Organization might not sound glamorous, but it’s the secret sauce to making your ideas a reality. By using tools that work for you, breaking tasks down into actionable items, and making sense of your research, you’re setting yourself up for success.

    I’ll be diving into infographic design next week. Stay tuned as I bring “Preserve the Peaks” to life!

  • Taming the Chaos: How I Find Structure in a Fast-Paced World

    Taming the Chaos: How I Find Structure in a Fast-Paced World

    Does anyone else feel like getting organized is impossible? Like as soon as you finish one task, another one pops up, leaving you feeling like you can never catch a break? Getting organized is tough—sometimes the hardest part is just figuring out where to start. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to lose track of everything—work projects, personal tasks, school assignments. Most of the time, I rely on the old-school method of jotting down tasks in a notebook, especially for work and school. At work, I keep a daily list and check off each task when completed, which always feels satisfying. I did the same during my undergraduate years.

    Recently, I was introduced to digital project management systems, tools designed to plan and organize projects more efficiently. As a visual learner, I knew I wanted a system that would not only help me stay organized but also present my projects in a creative, visually appealing way. After exploring options like Asana, Podio, and Trello, I decided to go with Trello. It stood out because of its customizable visual interface—who doesn’t love fun colors and images?

    When I set up my Trello board, I used a simple structure with three sections: To-Do, Doing, and Done. This method allows me to see what I’ve already accomplished, focus on the most pressing tasks, and plan for the future. This structure keeps me from feeling overwhelmed, as it helps me focus on one task at a time. Instead of jumping between multiple projects and draining my mental energy, something Johann Hari discusses in Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again, I tackle each task one by one.

    Because I’m a designer and love working with color, I customized my Trello board using my favorite colors to visually break up each section. For the background, I chose an image of the Northern Lights, which speaks to my love for nature and the outdoors. Incorporating these elements made the system feel more personal and enjoyable to use. So far, I’ve set up my board to organize my school tasks, but I plan to expand it to include both work and personal projects as well.

    I’m also applying a key piece of advice from Jennifer Whitt, Director of ProjectManager.com, who talks about the importance of collaboration at every stage of a project, from brainstorming to execution. Once I expand my Trello board to include work-related tasks, I plan to share it with my boss and co-workers so they can stay updated on my current workload. This way, as a team, we can hopefully stay organized and complete our work in a more efficient way.

    Getting organized is the hard part, but once everything is in place, it makes a world of difference. This is a great beginning step, and I’m excited to continue to explore other ways to organize my daily tasks.