How to Customize Task Views in Asana

Edited 1 week ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Asana is a powerful project management tool that helps teams organize, track, and manage their work. One of Asana's most useful features is its ability to customize task views. Customizing task views allows you to view your tasks in different ways depending on your needs, allowing you to manage your projects more effectively. Whether you're working on a large project with a team or managing your personal tasks, customizing task views in Asana can make a big difference in the way you work.

Understanding task sequences

Before we dive into the customization process, it is important to understand what task views are in Asana. Task views are essentially how tasks are displayed in the Asana interface. It includes the layout, filters, and sorting criteria that determine how tasks appear on your screen. Asana offers different views such as list view, board view, calendar view, and timeline view. Each of these views serves different purposes and can be customized to suit your specific needs.

List view

List view is the default view in Asana and displays tasks in a simple list format. This view is useful for detailed task management, as it allows you to see each task's name, assignee, due date, and any other important information at a glance. In list view, tasks are organized into sections or columns (similar to a spreadsheet), and you can easily add, edit, or delete tasks from this view.

Board view

The board view displays tasks as cards in columns, which is ideal for managing projects using the Kanban method. Each column typically represents a stage in the workflow, such as 'to do', 'in progress' and 'done.' You can drag and drop task cards between columns to update their status, making the board view highly visual and interactive.

Calendar view

The calendar view shows the tasks on the calendar based on their due dates. This view is perfect for tracking deadlines and making sure all team members are aware of the deadlines. It provides a comprehensive view on the schedule and helps in planning activities and setting priorities accordingly.

Timeline view

The timeline view is primarily used for project planning and scheduling. It resembles a Gantt chart and allows you to see how tasks relate to each other over time. By visualizing the timeline, you can identify dependencies and potential bottlenecks, adjusting your plans as needed to ensure smooth project execution.

Why customize task view?

Customizing task views in Asana is important because it allows you to optimize the display to meet your specific needs. By setting up views that highlight the most relevant information, you can save time and reduce cognitive load. Customized views help team members focus on what's most important, improving productivity and efficiency. Custom views are not only about personal preferences, but also about enhancing collaboration by keeping everyone aligned and informed.

How to customize the task view in Asana

Customizing task views in Asana is a straightforward process that involves using filters, sorting options, and layout adjustments. Here's a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to do it:

1. Access to the project

Start by navigating to the project you want to customize in your Asana account. Click on the project to open it so you can see the tasks associated with it.

2. Selecting the view

Once you reach the project, select the view type you want to customize. At the top of the project area, you will find tabs for the list, board, calendar, and timeline views. Click the tab for the desired view you want to customize.

3. Filtering tasks

Filtering tasks allows you to limit the tasks displayed based on specific criteria, such as assignee, status, or due date. To create a filter:

• Click the 'Filter' button or icon in the toolbar.
• Choose the criteria you want to apply. For example, filter by 'Assigned Person' to only show tasks assigned to a specific person.
• Adjust additional filters as needed, combine multiple criteria to create complex filters.
• Click 'Apply' to activate the applied filter and see the updated view.

4. Sorting out tasks

Sorting helps you organize tasks in a particular order that works for you. You can sort tasks by different attributes, such as priority or due date. To sort tasks:

• Find the 'Sort' option in the toolbar.
• Choose the attribute you want to sort tasks by. Common options include 'due date', 'priority', or 'alphabetical'.
• Decide whether you want to sort in ascending or descending order.
• Apply sort to reorder tasks as you like.

5. Adjusting columns (List view)

In List view, you can adjust the columns to display or hide specific information about tasks. Here's how:

• Locate the column headers above the task list.
• Click the 'Columns' dropdown or settings icon, if available.
• Select or deselect the checkboxes for the columns you want to display or hide, such as 'Tags', 'Project', or 'Due Date'.
• This customization will modify the detail of your list view, depending on the information that's most valuable to you.

6. Customizing columns and cards (Board view)

In board view, you can rename columns and add descriptions to better reflect your workflow steps:

• To rename a column, click the column header and type a new name, such as 'Backlog' or 'Ongoing Projects'.
• Add descriptions or criteria under the column names to help team members understand what is required for each step.
• Click on task cards to modify them and add information such as attachments, comments, or description details.

7. Saving custom views

Once you've customized your scene to your satisfaction, you may want to save it for future use. Asana allows you to save these customizations:

• Look for the option to save custom views, which may be labeled 'Save view for everyone.'
• Saving the view ensures that whenever you return to this project, the tasks will display according to your preferences.
• If you’re working in a team and want others to benefit from your custom view, choose to save the view for everyone.

8. Reverting to the default views

If you customized a view and need to return to Asana's default view:

• Look for the 'Reset' or 'Default View' option, often located in the View options or Settings menu.
• Click to reset the scene, and Asana will revert to the default settings for the selected scene type.

9. Creating custom fields

For even more control over your task views, Asana allows you to add custom fields:

• Go to Project Settings or 'Customize' option if available.
• Select 'Add custom field' to add new data points, such as priority level, estimated hours, or task categories.
• Determine the field type, such as dropdown, text, or number, and fill in the options for that field.
• Once saved, these fields will appear in your job details, allowing for more granular sorting and filtering.

Examples of customizing visuals

Let’s take a look at some practical examples to understand how task views can be customized.

Example 1: Managing a marketing campaign

Let's say you're managing a marketing campaign. You can use the board view to track tasks in stages:

• Create columns like ‘Views’, ‘Content Creation’, ‘Approvals’, and ‘Published’.
• Each action card can represent an aspect of the campaign, such as a blog post or social media content.
• Customize the task card to include fields such as content type, audience, and publishing platform.
• Filter tasks by assignee to focus on individual workloads, and sort by due date to monitor time.

Example 2: Software development project

For software development teams, using the timeline view can help manage sprints:

• Schedule tasks for programming activities such as coding, testing, and deployment, adding dependencies where needed.
• Use filters to display tasks for a specific sprint or release cycle.
• Create custom fields for ‘priority’ and ‘complexity’, sort tasks based on these parameters to tackle high priority items first.
• Adjust the duration of the deadline to focus on a particular sprint period and ensure the team stays on track.

Conclusion

Customizing task views in Asana is an essential aspect of making full use of the platform's potential. Whether increasing personal productivity or streamlining a team project, the ability to customize views for specific needs can have a significant impact on overall effectiveness. By following the steps outlined above and applying customizations to real-world scenarios, users can transform their approach to task management, ensure their work is in line with goals, and facilitate better collaboration across teams. The flexibility provided by Asana's customizable views makes it a favorite tool for diverse teams around the world, supporting various project management methodologies from Agile to Waterfall.

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