As an aspiring UX/UI designer, I am very aware of how quickly the information technology industry evolves. In a field where development projects span cross-functional teams, developers, shareholders, and consumers, it’s critical to have systems in place that drive action and keep teams aligned.
This is where project management comes in. Project management acts like a blueprint for most, if not all, initiative-building across the most important industries: tech, construction, healthcare, finance, and more.
Foundations of Project Management
To understand the importance of project management, we must define the goals of a successful project manager:
- Planning
- Crucial for defining a problem and outlining a roadmap for team members to follow to a solution.
- Creating a schedule where deliverables of the project are coupled with designated personnel to complete them, as well as deadlines.
- Identifying possible problems that can arise throughout the project’s timeline and how they will be managed.
2. Collaboration and Communication
- Fostering a positive team environment where communication is free-flowing and encouraged.
- Making sure team members are engaged and are on the same page.
- Communication between cross-functional teams is streamlined to ensure completion of deliverables by set deadlines.
3. Monitoring + Problem-Solving
- Identifying problems that could / do arise during development and implementing solutions that keep the project and team aligned with original goals
- Measuring the ongoing project activities: “Where are we?”
Implementing Project Management Skills
I chose Notion for my project management software because my current workplace uses it to ensure task completion and daily communication between upper management across multiple locations.
I managed the Foundations of Graduate Studies course using a work-breakdown structure (WBS).
“The WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of project deliverables into manageable sections, making it easier to plan, assign, and monitor work. The importance of a WBS in project management lies in its ability to break down complex objectives into actionable tasks.” ProjectManager.com
Module Breakdown
I created a dashboard that shows the class broken into big chunks, with each chunk representing a weekly module. In addition to separating each module, I pinned a calendar view of each module’s timeline to the right side of the page.
Inside Modules
Once you select a module, you are met with a header that shows the dates this module will cover, the link to the intro of that specific module, as well as the learning objectives of that week.
Module Content and Tasks
Scroll past the header to see a detailed task list. Each task has a status button, due date (if applicable), and a small description. Past the task list are important links to the module. These include readings, YouTube videos, and a link to the designated bibliography software I’ve used throughout the course.
Individual Tasks
When you click a task, it opens a side tab with a more in-depth description of what needs to be completed, plus links to submission sites, important links, and sub-task lists.
Importance of Project Management
Practicing project management skills can benefit your career and professional goals, and it also teaches you skills you can use in your personal life. Organization is hard. Even a 7-week course with predetermined tasks and goals proved how difficult it can be. If proficiency is found, projects will consistently be completed on time, efficiency can be maximized, communication between team members will be seamless, and you can become an asset to any organization, and even yourself.
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