The Problem
The company needed a single, easy-to-run Notion system to track all IT projects, because the database was being handed off in 2 weeks to someone new to Notion.
Key pain points were:
- No dedicated Tasks database connected to Projects, which made progress tracking and handoff harder.
- No reliable way to see project progress at a glance (they wanted a “task bar” style progress indicator).
- Inconsistent project setup and documentation, which made each project page different and harder for a new owner to follow.
- No clear dashboard for priorities, upcoming due dates, and deadlines, plus no “how to use this” area for acronyms and onboarding guidance.
Open question from the client:
- They wanted a way to write notes inside a database “Notes” column and have those notes automatically appear in a Notes section on the project page, without losing historical updates when a new note replaces the old one.
The Solution
Built a connected project management system in Notion that is simple to maintain and easy to hand off:
- Projects database as the source of truth, improved with a clear structure and better views for navigation.
- Tasks database linked to Projects, with status, deadline reminders, and a visual progress indicator (“progress bar”) surfaced on each project.
- Meetings database linked to Projects, with meeting templates and meeting summaries surfaced in the Projects database for quick context.
- Project templates so every new project is created with consistent sections (notes, tasks, meetings, and key info).
- Dashboard experience via views that highlight priorities, completed work, and what to focus on next.
For the notes history need:
- Recommended capturing updates as a related log (e.g., meeting notes and or update entries) instead of overwriting a single “Notes” cell, so past updates are never lost.
The Process
Delivered the build in a set of concrete setup steps:
- Created a Tasks database with a completion checkbox and connected it to Projects.
- Added deadline reminders for tasks (2 days before deadline).
- Implemented a tasks progress bar visible on each Project to show completion at a glance.
- Created a Meetings database, linked it to Projects, and sorted meetings so the latest appears first.
- Surfaced meeting notes summaries inside the Projects database for fast status and context.
- Cleaned up the Projects database by merging completed work into the main database and adding a dedicated Completed Projects view (Status = Done).
- Added a Priority-based view (grouped by priority, with conditional color styling).
- Built templates for both Projects and Meeting Notes to standardize information capture.
- Grouped properties into logical sections to make the databases easier for a new Notion user to understand.
- Recorded a short screen walkthrough video and invited follow-up questions.
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