Your Workflow Just Got Clearer
Cardsmith has a new major feature: the ability to add lines or connectors between cards on boards, in either grid or freeform view. You can create visual maps, such as process flow charts, or mind maps. It also shows dependencies on a kanban or scrum board. When we designed Cardsmith, our goal was to translate the experience of using sticky notes on whiteboards to an online application.
Sticky notes are flexible, simple and visual: that is what we love about them. With a pack of sticky notes and a whiteboard, you have access to dozens of thinking tools, collaboration techniques, and project tracking methodologies. Cardsmith aims to bring these tools to virtual teams by providing an online, digital sticky note application.
But whiteboards have another very simple and flexible tool: the whiteboard marker. Often when doing collaborative problem solving or organization, it makes sense to draw lines between cards, such as with a mind map or strategy map to show relationships between ideas, goals, or projects.
Now, with Cardsmith connectors, you can connect cards to each other using colored lines, with or without arrows. The connectors are specific to the Cardsmith view — so if you are using a freeform board to create a map of ideas, you might connect cards in one way. Then, when you move to a grid view for project execution, you may want to show dependencies between tasks using a separate set of connecting lines.
Here are just a few examples of how connectors can improve your process:
Process Diagram Example
This board uses connectors to show relationships between process steps. You can add connectors to boards by selecting “Link To” from the Card’s menu and then clicking on the card you want to connect to. Hover over the connectors to access the Connector menu and change the color or add arrows to lines.
Strategy Map Example
A Strategy Map describes our smaller goals support a larger overall goal for an organization. In this example, you’d read this map like this: “In order to… Increase Profits…. we must Increase Sales, etc. In order to increase Sales, we must develop a new product line”, etc.
Kanban Board With Dependencies Example
Connectors can be used in Grid Boards such as Scrum or Kanban formats to show dependencies between Cards and Teams.