We use Asana to keep our projects organized, transparent, and moving forward.
Use this guide to set up your first project and collaborate effectively with your teammates.
1. Create Your Project
Start by clicking the Create button or the + icon in the sidebar. You have three ways to begin:
Blank Project: Start from scratch.
Template: Use a pre-made layout.
Import: Upload an existing spreadsheet.
Pro-Tip: Make sure to select the correct Team and set your Privacy. Choose "Public to Team" for transparency or "Private" if you are working with sensitive information.
2. Choose Your View
You can switch these at any time, but picking the right one early helps with organization:
View | Best For... |
List | Seeing all tasks, assignees, and custom fields at a glance. |
Board | Kanban-style workflows (moving tasks through columns). |
Timeline | Visualizing schedules, deadlines, and how tasks overlap. |
Calendar | Tracking due dates across the month. |
3. Set the Foundation (Overview & Sections)
Before diving into tasks, give your team the "Big Picture" on the Overview page:
Project Description: Define your high-level goals (e.g., "Generate $100K in sales").
Key Resources: Attach briefs, links, or files so everyone has the context they need.
Sections: Use Sections to group work by phase (e.g., Phase 1: Planning, Phase 2: Launch). In Board view, these sections become your columns.
4. Add Tasks, Subtasks, and Milestones
Break your project down into manageable pieces:
Tasks: Actionable items like "Product design meeting." Include notes and attachments so the assignee has everything they need in one place.
Subtasks: Use these for the smaller steps within a larger task (e.g., a "Social Media" task might have subtasks for "Instagram" and "Facebook").
Milestones: Mark major achievements (e.g., "Production Testing Complete"). Right-click a task to Mark as Milestone—these appear as green markers on your Timeline.
5. Ownership and Logic
Asana is built on accountability. Every task should have:
One Assignee: Only one person can "own" a task to avoid confusion. (Example: Assign a task to Warwick).
Due Dates: Set specific dates or date ranges.
Dependencies: On the Timeline, drag the blue dot from one task to another. This shows if a task is "blocked" by another, and Asana will auto-adjust dates if the first task shifts.
6. Daily Workflow & Communication
A project is only as good as its data! Keep things moving by:
Commenting: Use the comment section of a task to ask questions or give progress notes.
Completing: Click the Checkmark once a task is done.
Updating: If a deadline slips, update the date immediately so the team can see the impact on the overall timeline.
7. Status Updates
Keep leadership and stakeholders informed by setting the project Status:
🟢 On Track
🟡 At Risk
🔴 Off Track
Write a quick summary of accomplishments and blockers. When you post this, every project member will receive a notification.
⚙️ Advanced Features
Once you're comfortable, explore these tools to level up:
Custom Fields: Add "Priority" or "Estimated Time" labels.
Automations: Set rules to automatically move tasks when a status changes.
Forms: Create a form to let people submit requests directly into your project.