Okay Geek Farm
Flow could be the coolest task management software around
Brandon Davenport
When you think of task management software, you probably think about two things. You think of dull business software that’s designed for lifeless cubicle dwellers, or half-baked useless iPhone apps that seem to make things more complicated instead of keeping you organized. Well, Flow is the kind of app where everything seems to make sense, and it’s one of the best we’ve seen.
What you get
Flow (getflow.com) is designed to be a collaborative tool for small groups of people directed by one person in control. Instead of shooting dozens of emails back and forth, Flow lets you assign tasks to people in your group and add more people if a task gets to be too much. You’ll know when the people in your group are done their tasks via notifications, and we think it’s just wonderful.
Something special about Flow is you can use it inside your browser, and it’s essentially a web app — and when we say web app, we mean it. This thing is gorgeous, fast and very simple, you wouldn’t even know you weren’t using a desktop application. It’s easy to see an immense amount of attention went into this app in terms of design, and a lot of effort was focused on consistency. While using Flow, I never experienced that confusing “what do I do now?” moment, and it was really easy to get the idea of what I was supposed to do.
Flow allows you to create tasks and add the basics like tags, dates, descriptions. You can also get a little more fancy, like attaching a file or even assigning the task to a person in your contacts. Flow has really stepped outside the box and decided to make task management less of a personal effort and more of a collaborative team initiative, but still maintain a personal experience when using the product.
Flow also offers a Mac app and iPhone app, and they are both really well done. We really enjoy the consistency of the apps, and it’s really easy to get the hang of each environment. We really appreciate the work the Flow team put into the web app, because when it boils down to it you’ll be able to use Flow wherever you go — you always have a device with a browser right?
What rocks about Flow
Shared task management — Being able to share the load of getting things done is something we’ve long awaited, and Flow does a great job of it. Also, the ability to be notified when someone has completed a task is a really nice touch.
Consistent user experience throughout devices — Flow really keeps the experience solid throughout mobile, desktop and browser usage, and again, we really like to see the amount of effort that went into the design of the apps.
Notifications — It’s nice to know when something is completed, or if you have been assigned a task.
Awesome search — When searching for tasks (much like searching in Windows or Mac) you see the results auto-fill as you search them.
What sucks about Flow
It’s $9.99/mo — In reality, this isn’t a competitive price. It’s barely matching the price that’s been set for other services. We do believe however that what you get with Flow it’s worth the price, but only if you can afford it. There are many other great task management apps out there, Flow just happens to be one of the best (and most expensive) on the market right now.
Interface might be a bit too “cutesy” — When it comes to software like this, the people who use it are people who want to get stuff done. At the end of the day, a more utilitarian interface proves to work better, and even though Flow is beautiful, it’s Apple-ish interface might not be the right fit for some folks.
In summary
If your looking for some great task management software for you and a small group of people, you can’t beat Flow. From the great interface to the excellent user experience Flow is sure to help you get the job done. Being able to do group task management is a must for small companies, and Flow does it right — that is, if the $9.99/mo per user price tag doesn’t bug you.
Test it out — They give you a 14 day trial, that’s nice huh?
