Tools To Help You Plan Projects / Features

Question

What tools do you use to plan a project or a large feature set? I currently use a mix of Word for writing specs and Photoshop for mockups, but is there something more suited for developers?

Answer 1

Good old Excel works best for plans and task lists I've found. Tried things like Project but hated it.

Answer 2

I would set up a Wiki. Its what I use for planning, since its visible to everyone on the team, and editable by everyone on the team. Trac is the Wiki that I use. MoinMoin is another Wiki that I have used.

Answer 3

• Web2Project for schedules
• Maven documentation generation for specifications
• Mindmaps for brainstorming
• Balsamiq Mockups for UI prototypes

Answer 4

StpA Storyboarding. http://wagnerblog.com/2007/09/04/love-at-first-sight/ Its a Jolt Award Winner and does a really nice job

Answer 5

We use dotProject - an online project management tool, we also use that for delivery tracking.

Answer 6

I actually really like Joel's FogBugz. He offers a free hosted account for up to 2 users (perfect for personal little projects that I'm running all the time), and with excellent SVN integration, it just steals the day.

Plus, if you have a buddy, you can collaborate very well - FogBugz has a wiki in the latest version. I still find a good old bug list to be a better way to structure things, though - priorities, releases, assigned to... Seems more organized.

Answer 7

We use Intervals for our internal bug tracking and time tracking system. It works great for our web design and development agency.

Answer 8

1. Microsoft OneNote - to outline features, prioritize, etc
2. Balsamiq Mockups - To mockup the screens and controls
3. Microsoft Project - to setup a basic project plan with milestones

Answer 9

A Wiki like Confluence or XWiki, with the UI Mockup plugin Balsamiq makes a very nice integrated solution.