What is Basecamp and how do I use it for my project?
Q: I'm a new client and I've just been invited to join my first Basecamp project. What is Basecamp and how does it work?
A: Basecamp is a simple online project management tool that helps people to work together on projects with minimal fuss.
Depending on the nature of our work together, we'll usually invite you to a Basecamp project as a central location in which to share files, allocate tasks, set project milestones and track progress.
Basecamp's minimalist approach makes it simple to use and easy to understand, even if you've never used it before.
Basecamp allows you to:
- Share files, such as images, drafts or background materials, with your project team
- Create lists of tasks and allocate them to the right person
- Start project-related discussions and reply to messages directly from your inbox
- Stay up to date on new tasks and project milestones with email notifications
- Track progress on your project, review recent activity and see the latest files and discussions in one central place.
If the very idea of project management fills you with dread, then this short video from Basecamp shows just how easy it is to use.
And, if you're addicted to email, there's good news – you can reply to and comment on most activity directly from your email, which is perfect if you're out and about and want to keep up to date with progress on your smartphone.
One of our favourite things about Basecamp is its simplicity. It only does what you need it to do – and leaves everything else out. In fact, it's so simple that we're very rarely asked how something works; clients tend to use Basecamp intuitively.
We're great believers in using cloud-based tools such as Basecamp when they can save you time, reduce complexity and keep your project on track. Once you start using Basecamp, we suspect you'll agree.
If you'd like to know more about how Basecamp can make your projects easier to manage, please get in touch.